soothe
gb/sˈuð/ us/sˈuð/
B1
English
~ 8200
megnyugtat, enyhít, nyugtat, csillapít, old
VERB
B1
1
megnyugtat
B1
Usage pattern:
to soothe [someone] / to soothe [someone]'s feelings
He tried to soothe his daughter after the nightmare woke her up.
Próbálta megnyugtatni a lányát, miután egy rémálom felébresztette.
Soft music helped soothe the passengers during the long delay.
A lágy zene segített megnyugtatni az utasokat a hosszú késés alatt.
She spoke gently to soothe the frightened dog.
The teacher soothed the class after the fire alarm scared them.
A quick phone call was enough to soothe his worried parents.
Learner examples
The mother soothed the baby with a quiet song.
Az anya egy halk dallal nyugtatta meg a babát.
He soothed his friend by saying, "It will be okay."
Azzal nyugtatta meg a barátját, hogy azt mondta: „Minden rendben lesz.”
Warm words can soothe a sad heart.
She soothed her little brother when he cried.
The coach soothed the team after they lost the game.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "soothe" with "smooth" because they look similar. "Soothe" means to calm or make pain less; "smooth" means flat or without bumps. Learners also sometimes say *"soothe down"* by copying "calm down", but natural English usually uses just "soothe" without "down".
Meaning
Make someone feel calmer
Collocations
soothe a crying baby
|soothe someone's nerves
|soothe hurt feelings
|soothe anger
|soothe fears
|soothe anxiety
Synonyms
calm (More general and common; can be used as verb or adjective, while "soothe" suggests a gentle action.)
|
comfort (Focuses more on giving emotional support, not only reducing strong emotion.)
|
reassure (Stresses saying things that remove fear or doubt, often with words rather than actions.)
Antonyms
upset (Means to make someone feel sad, worried, or angry, the opposite of calming them.)
|
agitate (Means to make someone feel more excited or nervous instead of calmer.)
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|daily life
|health
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To help someone feel calm, not angry, worried, or sad.
To make a person or animal feel calmer and less upset, angry, afraid, or anxious.
VERB
B1
2
Usage pattern:
to soothe [a part of the body] / to soothe [pain]
This cream will soothe your sunburned skin.
Ez a krém megnyugtatja a leégett bőrödet.
Honey and lemon can help soothe a sore throat.
A méz és a citrom segíthet enyhíteni a torokfájást.
A warm bath soothed her tired, aching muscles.
The nurse gave him ice to soothe the swelling on his ankle.
He took some medicine to soothe the pain in his back.
Learner examples
The lotion soothed my dry hands.
A testápoló megnyugtatta a kiszáradt kézbőrömet.
Cold water can soothe a small burn.
A hideg víz enyhítheti egy kisebb égés fájdalmát.
She drank tea to soothe her throat.
The doctor gave me a gel to soothe the pain.
A soft pillow can soothe your neck after a long day.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "cure" when they only mean "soothe". "Cure" means to remove an illness completely, while "soothe" only means to make the pain or discomfort feel less strong.
Meaning
Ease physical pain or discomfort
Collocations
soothe a sore throat
|soothe dry skin
|soothe aching muscles
|soothe pain
|soothe irritation
Synonyms
relieve (Very common medical word for making pain less severe; a bit more general and neutral.)
|
ease (Similar level of formality; often used for both physical and emotional pain.)
|
alleviate (More formal and often used in medical or serious contexts.)
Antonyms
irritate (Means to make skin or a body part feel worse or more uncomfortable, the opposite of soothing it.)
|
inflame (Often used for body parts becoming more red and painful, the opposite of easing pain.)
Themes
health
|daily life
|body
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To make part of the body feel less sore, painful, or uncomfortable.
To reduce or ease physical pain, irritation, or discomfort in part of the body.
VERB
B2
3
Usage pattern:
to soothe [tensions/concerns/fears] about [something]
The president's speech was meant to soothe public fears about the new policy.
Az elnök beszédének az volt a célja, hogy csillapítsa az új intézkedéssel kapcsolatos lakossági félelmeket.
Lower interest rates helped soothe market nerves after the sudden crash.
Az alacsonyabb kamatok segítettek csillapítani a piaci idegességet a hirtelen összeomlás után.
The company issued a statement to soothe investor concerns.
Mediators tried to soothe tensions between the two communities.
Her clear explanation went a long way toward soothing our doubts.
Learner examples
The manager spoke to staff to soothe their worries about losing jobs.
Az igazgató beszélt a dolgozókkal, hogy csillapítsa az állásuk elvesztése miatti aggodalmaikat.
His calm voice soothed the tension in the room.
Nyugodt hangja oldotta a feszültséget a szobában.
The news report did not soothe people's fears.
The teacher tried to soothe anger after the unfair test.
A quick email from the boss soothed the team's concerns.
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse this sense in very casual spoken English where "fix" or "solve" is more natural. "Soothe" here only means reducing negative feelings, not fully solving the problem.
Meaning
Ease tension or worries in a situation
Collocations
soothe market fears
|soothe investor concerns
|soothe public anger
|soothe diplomatic tensions
Synonyms
ease (Very close in meaning; commonly used with "tensions" and "concerns" in similar contexts.)
|
allay (More formal; often used with "fears" or "concerns" in news or official statements.)
|
mollify (Formal and slightly old-fashioned; suggests calming an angry person or group, often by saying something pleasing.)
Antonyms
inflame (Means to make anger or strong feelings worse, especially in groups, the opposite of reducing tension.)
|
heighten (Means to increase a feeling like fear or tension, the opposite of soothing it.)
Themes
business
|politics
|emotions
|relationships
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To make people feel less worried, angry, or tense about a problem or difficult situation.
To reduce anger, fear, or tension around a problem or conflict, often by giving reassurance.
Grammar
Dictionary form
soothe
IPA
GB/sˈuð/
US/sˈuð/
Syllables & stress
soothe (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (soothe)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: soothe
- 3rd Person Singular: soothes
- Present Participle: soothing
- Past: soothed
Word family
Forms
soothes
verb
soothing
verb
soothed
verb
Related words
soothingly
adverb
soother
noun
Expressions
music soothes the soul
1/mjˈuzɪk sˈuðz ðə sˈoʊl/
idiom
Music makes people feel calm
People say this to mean that music can help you feel calm and better inside when you are sad or stressed.
Examples
- After a long, hard day, she put on her favorite playlist—music soothes the soul.
- He believes that music soothes the soul and plays the piano whenever he feels low.
soothe someone's nerves
1/sˈuð sˈʌmwˌʌnz nˈɚvz/
fixed phrase
Calm a nervous person
To help someone who feels nervous become calm and relaxed.
Examples
- A short walk outside helped soothe her nerves before the interview.
- He cracked a few jokes to soothe everyone's nerves during the flight delay.
- The doctor tried to soothe the patient's nerves before the operation.
soothe the pain
1/sˈuð ðə pˈeɪn/
fixed phrase
Reduce pain or hurt
To make someone's physical or emotional pain feel less strong.
Examples
- This cream should help soothe the pain in your knee.
- Talking with friends can sometimes soothe the pain of a breakup.
- The medicine did little to soothe the pain in his shoulder.