appease
To calm someone down by giving them what they want.
appease in a sentence
- To appease the grumpy toddler, Mum handed over the biscuit tin.
- Legend says the villagers left cakes outside the cave to appease the grumpy dragon and keep it calm.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to appease?
- Aanger
- Bannoy
- Ccalm
- Dupset
Show the answer
C: calm. The other three mean the opposite of appease.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to appease?
- Aplease
- Banger
- Csoothe
- Dcalm
Show the answer
B: anger. The other three mean nearly the same as appease.
Words that mean something similar
calm, soothe, please
Words that mean the opposite
anger, upset, annoy
Careful: appease is not soothe
Appease calms someone by giving in. Soothe calms someone by comforting them. Read why children mix them up.
More words about behaviour & manners
- assiduous: Working with great care, effort and determination.
- awkward: Uncomfortable and clumsy, or difficult to deal with.
- beguile: To charm or trick someone in a clever way.
- betray: To let someone down by breaking their trust, often by giving away their secrets.
- boisterous: Noisy, lively and full of rough energy.
- brazen: Bold and cheeky, without any shame.
- brusque: Using few words in a way that seems rude and unfriendly.
- cajole: To gently persuade someone by being nice or making promises.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test