mollify

mollify
    v 1: cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of;
         "She managed to mollify the angry customer" [syn: {pacify},
         {lenify}, {conciliate}, {assuage}, {appease}, {mollify},
         {placate}, {gentle}, {gruntle}]
    2: make more temperate, acceptable, or suitable by adding
       something else; moderate; "she tempered her criticism" [syn:
       {temper}, {season}, {mollify}]
    3: make less rigid or softer
    

Mollify \Mol"li*fy\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Mollified}; p. pr. &
   vb. n. {Mollifying}.] [F. mollifier, L. mollificare; mollis
   soft + -ficare (in comp.) to make. See {Enmollient}, {Moil},
   v. t., and {-fy}.]
   1. To soften; to make tender; to reduce the hardness,
      harshness, or asperity of; to qualify; as, to mollify the
      ground.
      [1913 Webster]

            With sweet science mollified their stubborn hearts.
                                                  --Spenser.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To assuage, as pain or irritation, to appease, as excited
      feeling or passion; to pacify; to calm.
      [1913 Webster]
    

89 Moby Thesaurus words for "mollify":
      abate, allay, alleviate, anesthetize, appease, assuage, benumb,
      calm, calm down, compose, conciliate, cool, cradle, cushion,
      deaden, deaden the pain, decrease, defuse, diminish, dulcify, dull,
      ease, ease matters, even out, fluff, foment, gentle, give relief,
      hush, knead, laxate, lay, lay the dust, lessen, lighten, limber,
      limber up, loosen, lull, mash, massage, mellow, milden, mitigate,
      numb, pacify, pad, palliate, placate, plump, poultice,
      pour balm into, pour balm on, pour oil on, propitiate, pulp, quell,
      quiet, reduce, relax, relieve, rest, rock, rock to sleep, salve,
      shake up, slacken, slake, smash, smooth, smooth down, smooth over,
      smoothen, soften, soften up, soothe, squash, stabilize, steady,
      still, stupe, subdue, supple, sweeten, temper, tenderize,
      tone down, tranquilize, tune down