Meaning & Definition of word "Placate"
Placate
/pləˈkeɪt/
verb:
- 1. to make (someone) less angry or hostile
- Example: To placate the angry crowd, the manager promised to issue refunds.
- 2. to calm or soothe someone by giving in to their demands
- Example: She tried to placate her upset friend by offering to listen to her problems.
- 3. to bring peace to; to calm
- Example: The diplomat worked hard to placate the two nations' tensions through dialogue.
- 4. to mitigate or allay (something)
- Example: In an attempt to placate the critics, the author explained her writing choices in detail.
Etymology
●From Latin 'placare', meaning 'to soothe, calm, or appease'.
Common Phrases and Expressions
placate someone's fears:
To calm down someone's worries or concerns.
placate the situation:
To resolve or diminish a tense or difficult circumstance.
placate the masses:
To appease a large group of people, especially in a political context.
Related Words
appease:
To calm or satisfy someone by giving in to their demands.
calm:
To bring peace or tranquility to someone or something.
pacify:
To bring peace to a situation or to someone who is angry.
Slang Meanings of placate
Meaning: Chill someone out
● Example Sentence: He just needed to chill out after that argument.
Meaning: Smooth things over
● Example Sentence: Let's smooth things over before the meeting.