- to relieve (pain, grief, etc) or be relieved
- (transitive) to reduce (fear, anger, etc)
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2017
al•lay /əˈleɪ/USA pronunciation
v. [~ + object]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2017- to reduce (fear, etc.);
calm:allayed the child's fears. - to lessen or relieve;
make better;
alleviate: Take this pill to allay the pain.
al•lay
(ə lā′),USA pronunciation v.t., -layed, -lay•ing.
- to put (fear, doubt, suspicion, anger, etc.) to rest;
calm;
quiet. - to lessen or relieve;
mitigate;
alleviate:to allay pain.
- Anglo-French, Old French aleg(i)er; see allege) to alleviate, allay
- bef. 1000; Middle English aleyen, Old English ālecgan to put down, allay (ā- a-3 + lecgan to lay1); spelling, spelled -ll- shows influence of the now obsolete allege (
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged soften, assuage. Allay, moderate, soothe mean to reduce excitement or emotion. To allay is to lay to rest or lull to a sense of security, possibly by making the emotion seem unjustified:to allay suspicion, anxiety, fears.To moderate is to tone down any excess and thus to restore calm:to moderate the expression of one's grief.To soothe is to exert a pacifying or tranquilizing influence:to soothe a terrified child.
- 2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged lighten, mollify, temper, ease.
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged excite.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
allay /əˈleɪ/ vb
'allay' also found in these entries: