Sooth
/suːθ/
Definitions
2 meaningsTo calm or comfort someone who is upset or in pain; to alleviate distress.
/suːθ/
To calm or comfort someone; to appease.
She tried to sooth the worried dog with gentle strokes.
💡 Simply: Imagine your friend is really sad. To 'sooth' them means to say and do things to make them feel better, like giving them a hug or a compliment. It's like giving their feelings a nice, warm blanket!
👶 For kids: To make someone feel better when they're sad or hurt.
More Examples
The doctor administered a medicine to sooth the patient's pain.
The mother used soft words to sooth her baby.
How It's Used
"The lullaby was meant to sooth the child's crying."
"He tried to sooth his troubled mind."
Truth; reality (used primarily in archaic or literary contexts).
/suːθ/
Truth or reality (archaic).
The poet sought to uncover the sooth behind the mystery.
💡 Simply: Sometimes people used to say 'sooth' to mean 'the truth' or 'what's really real.' It's like when you say, 'I'm telling you the truth!' but with an old-fashioned twist. It's like the olden days version of 'truth'.
👶 For kids: The true thing.
More Examples
She swore on the sooth of her claims.
How It's Used
"The sooth of the matter remained hidden for years."
"He spoke the sooth, despite the consequences."
Synonyms & Antonyms
From Old English *sōth* meaning 'truth'. It is related to the word 'sooth' and shares roots with 'true' and 'truth'. It's seen predominantly in archaic and literary contexts.
The word 'sooth' as a verb saw its peak use in the 17th and 18th centuries, and as a noun, was common in older literary texts, particularly those written before the 19th century.
Memory tip
Think of a 'smooth' feeling that calms you down. 'Sooth' provides a similar calming effect.
Word Origin
"truth"