Word of the Day
March 27, 2026
Assuage
1. To make milder or less severe; to relieve, ease, or mitigate. 2. To appease, satisfy, or allay. 3. To soothe, calm, or mollify.
From Old French 'asoagier' (to soften, calm), from Latin 'ad-' (to) + 'suavis' (sweet, pleasant). Related to 'suave.'
Usage Examples
- The Federalist Papers were written to assuage the colonists' fears that the proposed Constitution would create a new monarchy.
- Representative Brooks uses amendments on second reading to assuage some of the most harmful provisions in legislation reaching the House floor.
- The founders designed checks and balances to assuage the states' deep suspicion of centralized federal power.
From the Show
The word assuage anchored the March 27 discussion of the Federalist Papers, which were written precisely to assuage the colonists’ fears that the proposed Constitution would create a new monarchy.