What does “appease” mean?
- 1
verbto calm someone by giving them what they want
The government tried to appease the protesters with promises.
- 2
verbto satisfy a need such as hunger or curiosity
A small snack appeased his hunger until dinner.
Appease at a glance
- Part of speech
- verb
- CEFR level
- C2 (proficient)
- Pronunciation
- /əˈpiz/ · uh-PEEZ
How to use “appease” correctly
In politics, “appeasement” is often critical: giving in to an aggressor to avoid conflict.
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- placate
- pacify
- mollify
Antonyms (opposite meaning)
- provoke
- antagonize
Word family
- appeasement
“appease” is on these word lists
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