V2 Vocabulary Building Dictionary
propitiate
verb
Definition: to make peace with someone and win favor
Synonyms: conciliate, gratify, appease, correct, soften, redeem, placate, pacify, mollify, mitigate
Antonyms: aggravate, annoy, irritate
Tips: Propitiate is derived from the Late Latin propitiationem, which means "an atonement." To propitiate is to make an atonement to someone who is angry with you. It may help to think of the word proper, as it means "correct." Propitiate means you are making an effort to make things proper again. Something described as propitiatory is intended to appease. Propitiate is similar to mollify or appease, but to propitiate is more formal and means "to receive atonement or forgiveness and then win favor."
Usage Examples:
The politician hoped his clean-air bill would help propitiate angry environmentalists. (appease)
He brought donuts to work as a propitiatory gift, in hopes that everyone would forgive him for losing his temper. (appeasing, conciliating) adjective
Mark sent flowers to his girlfriend everyday last week, in order to propitiate her anger over his lies. (soften, pacify)
The propitiatory flowers didn't work; she was still angry a week later. (conciliatory) adjective
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