The Meaning of Placate: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know the definition of placate? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word placate, including its definition, etymology, usage, example sentences, and more!

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What does the word placate mean?

According to Collins English Dictionary and the American Heritage Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, the word placate is a verb that means to pacify, appease, or soothing hurt feelings or feelings of bitterness. Different suffixes can be added to placate to form different verb tenses and word forms like the past participle, present participle, and more – ed, ing, tion all form placated, placating, and placation. Placate is two syllables – pla-cate, and the pronunciation of placate is pləˈkeɪt.

Many different languages contain translations for the word placate. You may notice that some of the translations in the below list look and  sound a lot like the word placate. These are called cognates, which are words and phrases that have a similar look, sound, and meaning across languages. These are often formed when two words have the same root or language of origin. This list of translations of the word placate is provided by Word Sense.

  •  Finnish: lepyttää‎, rauhoittaa‎
  •  Armenian: հանգստացնել‎
  •  Dutch: kalmeren‎, bedaren‎
  •  Thai: ปลอบโยน‎ (bplòp yohn), ปลอบใจ‎ (bplòp jai)
  •  Portuguese: aplacar‎
  •  Hungarian: kiengesztel‎
  •  Maori: whakamārie‎, whakamauru‎
  •  German: beschwichtigen‎, besänftigen‎
  •  Serbo-Croatian: umiriti‎, умирити‎, smiriti‎, смирити‎
  •  Arabic: هَدَّأَ‎, اِسْتَرْضَى‎
  •  Russian: умиротворя́ть‎, успока́ивать‎, потака́ть‎ (indulge)
  •  Japanese: なだめる‎ (nadameru)
  •  Khmer: កំសាន្ត‎ (kɑmsaan)
  •  Swedish: blidka‎
  •  Icelandic: róa‎, sefa‎, fróa‎
  •  Latin: pācificō‎
  •  Vietnamese: xoa dịu‎
  •  Mandarin: 安撫‎, 安抚‎ (ānfǔ)
  •  Greek: κατευνάζω‎
  •  Spanish: aplacar‎
  •  French: apaiser‎, calmer‎

What is the origin of the word placate?

According to Etymonline, the word placate has been used since c17 Middle English and comes from the Latin placatus/Latin plācātus, past participle of placare and causative of placere/placēre. This word is from Proto-Indo-European roots.

How can the word placate be used in a sentence?

The word placate can be used in different sentences in American English and British English. Using a new word in a sentence is a great way to memorize its meaning. Try using this word of the day in a sentence today so that you can remember its definition and continue to use it in your everyday speech. Below are many examples of placate. 

Joshua Stamper tried to placate the quarterback who was feeling resentment as the demonstrators lined up outside his house. His insistent demands made it clear he thought he was a superior being.

The politicians placated the belligerent nations who had a rising anger and territorial ambitions. There was much local opposition from voters, but they tried their best to perform this settling of differences without estrangement, malevolence or disturbance. 

The agent Angel Azrael placated the artist Chloe who had her theme music stolen for the show, and contacted ASCAP to make it right. Her copyright was in effect, and fans would be livid to hear about the offender. 

The employees went to the office of a mediator after a diaphanous kind of morning with protestors. There, they were placated into making hard decisions that would not go against state law or give them greater anxiety. They wanted no wrath, savage slashes, or chip on the shoulder of either side. 

The physician from the state sector placated his colleague, who had the postures of phoney charms, when his opponents won out in the election. In the meantime, he greeted visitors to show everyone his positive trait. 

What are synonyms and antonyms of placate?

There are many different words that a person can use in place of the word placate. These are called synonyms. Learning synonyms is a great way to expand your English language vocabulary and avoid repeating yourself in spoken or written English. This list of synonyms of placate is provided by Power Thesaurus.

  •  appease
  •  rejoice
  •  pacify
  •  mitigate
  •  relax
  •  be equable
  •  cool off
  •  cheer
  •  allay
  •  smooth
  •  hush
  •  propitiated
  •  temper
  •  gratify
  •  mollifying
  •  dulcify
  •  humour
  •  tranquilize
  •  sate
  •  sedating
  •  conciliate
  •  give somebody a lift
  •  decompress
  •  reconciling
  •  relieve
  •  propitiate
  •  humor
  •  calming
  •  make up
  •  compose
  •  settle
  •  gladden
  •  solace
  •  mollified
  •  appeased
  •  comfort
  •  reassure
  •  tranquillize
  •  mollify
  •  disarm
  •  ease
  •  quieten
  •  accommodate
  •  quiet
  •  be calm
  •  still
  •  brighten up
  •  console
  •  stay loose
  •  propitiating
  •  conciliated
  •  lighten
  •  cool
  •  quell
  •  calm down
  •  lull
  •  assuage
  •  satisfy
  •  becalm
  •  content
  •  take sting out
  •  cool down
  •  indulge
  •  entertain
  •  alleviate
  •  dulcorate
  •  amuse
  •  calm
  •  moderate
  •  chill
  •  reconcile
  •  defuse
  •  sedate
  •  gruntle
  •  lenify
  •  spoil
  •  make peace with
  •  charm
  •  gentle
  •  captivate
  •  subdue
  •  allaying
  •  placating
  •  be unfazed
  •  pamper
  •  delight
  •  palliate
  •  loosen up
  •  make matters up
  •  soften
  •  settle down
  •  appeasing
  •  take it easy
  •  assuaging
  •  please
  •  pacified
  •  soothe
  •  hang loose
  •  restore harmony to
  •  sweeten

There are also numerous different words that mean the opposite of the word placate. These opposite words are known as antonyms. Learning antonyms is another great way to expand your English language vocabulary in a quick and easy way. This list of antonyms of the word placate is also provided by Power Thesaurus

  •  weigh heavily on
  •  make despondent
  •  agitate
  •  cause suffering to
  •  harrow
  •  rile
  •  torment
  •  weigh down
  •  insult
  •  upset
  •  pester
  •  make someone see red
  •  provoke
  •  distress
  •  bother
  •  give someone the blues
  •  trouble
  •  undo
  •  fret
  •  ail
  •  flabbergast
  •  incense
  •  rankle
  •  get someone’s back up
  •  unnerve
  •  make someone fed up
  •  enrage
  •  discompose
  •  discourage
  •  cause stress
  •  vex
  •  discomfort
  •  knock for six
  •  peeve
  •  bug
  •  torture
  •  disturb
  •  burden
  •  knock the stuffing out of
  •  perturb
  •  unsettle
  •  worry
  •  desolate
  •  shake
  •  inflame
  •  dash someone’s hopes
  •  cast down
  •  knock sideways
  •  dash
  •  demoralize
  •  daunt
  •  offend
  •  become angry suddenly
  •  dishearten
  •  lose one’s temper
  •  grieve
  •  dispirit
  •  madden
  •  embitter
  •  get down
  •  concern
  •  oppress
  •  i dare you
  •  chafe
  •  dampen someone’s spirits
  •  deject
  •  hang over
  •  nettle
  •  crush
  •  afflict
  •  unhinge
  •  dismay
  •  make desolate
  •  go crazy
  •  get someone’s goat
  •  go mad
  •  irritate
  •  make sad
  •  haunt
  •  bring tears to someone’s eyes
  •  break someone’s spirit
  •  exasperate
  •  make gloomy
  •  sadden
  •  break someone’s heart
  •  irk
  •  infuriate
  •  harass
  •  anger
  •  annoy
  •  rage
  •  depress
  •  exercise
  •  arouse
  •  make someone’s heart bleed
  •  make unhappy
  •  disquiet
  •  aggravate
  •  get someone’s dander up
  •  dodder

Overall, the word placate means to comfort or quell troubled waters. Placate is connotative of calm things like a saucer of milk. 

Sources:

  1. Placate definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary 
  2. placate | Origin and meaning of placate | Online Etymology Dictionary 
  3. Placate antonyms – 1 020 Opposites of Placate | Power Thesaurus 
  4. placate: meaning, origin, translation | Word Sense 
  5. Placate synonyms – 736 Words and Phrases for Placate | Power Thesaurus