allay

C2+ Topic:Emotions & Feelings

US /əˈleɪ/ UK /əˈleɪ/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to diminish or relieve fear, doubt, or pain

The doctor's calm words helped allay her fears.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to diminish or relieve... relieve ease soothe calm mitigate assuage

Opposites

aggravate intensify provoke heighten

Word family

Derived forms allayment

Related forms lay

Etymology

From Middle English alayen, from Old English ālecgan ('to lay down, put aside'), from ā- (intensive prefix) + lecgan ('to lay'). Meaning influenced by Old French alleger ('to lighten').

ālecgan Old English lecgan Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Emotions & Feelings Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# allay

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /əˈleɪ/
**IPA (UK):** /əˈleɪ/

## Meanings
1. to diminish or relieve fear, doubt, or pain

## Examples
- The doctor's calm words helped allay her fears.

## Synonyms
- relieve
- ease
- soothe
- calm
- mitigate
- assuage

## Antonyms
- aggravate
- intensify
- provoke
- heighten

## Derived Forms
- allayment

## Related Forms
- lay

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: ālecgan
- Root: lecgan

## Etymology
From Middle English alayen, from Old English ālecgan ('to lay down, put aside'), from ā- (intensive prefix) + lecgan ('to lay'). Meaning influenced by Old French alleger ('to lighten').

## AI Etymology
Allay is from Middle English alayen, from Old English ālecgan ('to lay down, put aside'), from ā- (intensive prefix) + lecgan ('to lay'). Meaning influenced by Old French alleger ('to lighten'). In present-day use, it means to diminish or relieve fear, doubt, or pain. Derived formations include allayment. Related vocabulary includes lay.

## Topics
- Emotions & Feelings
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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