pacify meaning and examples

Meaning

Pacify means to calm someone down, bring peace, or make a situation less violent or tense. It often refers to soothing anger, fear, or unrest.

Grammar and Usage

• Part of speech: Verb (transitive)

• Forms: pacifies, pacifying, pacified

• Patterns:

  • pacify someone → calm a person down
  • pacify a crowd → restore order in a group
  • pacify fears → reduce anxiety or worry

Common Phrases

• pacify a crying baby – to calm an upset infant
• pacify the public – to ease people’s anger or fear
• pacify the situation – to calm a tense circumstance

Collocations

• pacify + baby/child
• pacify + anger/fears
• pacify + crowd/protesters
• pacify + situation/conflict

Examples

1. The mother tried to pacify her crying baby by rocking him gently.
2. The government sent messages to pacify public concerns after the crisis.
3. He offered an apology to pacify his angry colleagues.
4. The police tried to pacify the crowd before the protest grew violent.
5. A warm drink helped to pacify her nerves before the big interview.
6. The teacher managed to pacify the students after a heated argument.
7. The manager’s reassuring words helped pacify the team’s anxiety about layoffs.

Synonyms or Related

• calm
• soothe
• appease
• placate
• settle

Antonym

• agitate
• upset
• provoke
• enrage