Appease
/əˈpiːz/
verbIntermediateCommonGeneral
Idiom
Meaning
Question
Definitions
1
To bring peace or quiet to; to satisfy or relieve.
/əˈpiːz/
verbneutralIntermediate
General
To pacify or soothe someone.
He appeased his anger by taking a deep breath.
💡 Simply: To make someone happy or calm.
More Examples
2
The dictator appeased his enemies through concessions.
How It's Used
Politics
"The government tried to appease the protesters with promises of reform."
Parenting
"She appeased her crying baby with a bottle."
Idioms & expressions
appease the beast
To satisfy or placate a powerful or demanding person or force.
"He tried to appease the beast by giving in to all its demands."
From Old French *appaisier, from Latin *appacare (to pacify).
Historically, the word was often used in contexts of diplomacy and international relations, referring to making concessions to avoid conflict.
Memory tip
Imagine a pea (peace) being offered to someone to calm them down.
Practice
Base: appease
apeezeapeace
Usage
20%Spoken
80%Written