salve
gb/sˈɑv/ us/sˈɑv/
B2
Anglais
Sens
0 sens
Nom
B2
entity
1
healing ointment for the skin
a thick cream you put on your skin to help it heal
Schéma d’usage :
a salve for [a condition]
Erreur fréquente :
Often mispronounced as if the L is sounded; in modern English it is usually pronounced like “sav”.
Synonymes
ointment (More common general word for a medicinal greasy cream.)
|
balm (Often suggests something soothing, sometimes scented or less medicinal.)
Antonymes
irritant (Something that makes skin feel worse rather than soothing it.)
Collocations
healing salve
|herbal salve
|skin salve
|burn salve
|a salve for chapped lips
|apply salve
|rub in salve
|a jar of salve
|a soothing salve
|medicated salve
Thèmes
health
|body
|medicine
|daily_life
Exemples
- She dabbed a healing salve on the cut and covered it with a bandage.
- This salve is meant for dry, cracked skin in winter.
- Keep the salve in a cool place so it doesn’t melt.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I put salve on my hands.
- This salve helps my dry skin.
Verbe
C1
action
2
apply ointment to the skin
to put a healing cream on your skin
Schéma d’usage :
salve [a body part/wound]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners often use "solve" by mistake in writing; the correct spelling for ointment is "salve".
Synonymes
anoint (More formal and often used in religious or ceremonial contexts.)
|
apply (More general; does not specifically imply ointment.)
Antonymes
wipe off (To remove something from the skin rather than putting it on.)
Collocations
salve a wound
|salve the burn
|salve the rash
|salve irritated skin
|salve the area
|carefully salve
|gently salve
Thèmes
health
|body
|medicine
Exemples
- He gently salved the blister before putting on a sock.
- The nurse salved the scrape and told him not to pick at it.
- Salve the area twice a day until it stops itching.
Exemples pédagogiques
- Salve the cut after you clean it.
Verbe
formal
C1
action
3
soothe pain or hurt feelings
to make someone feel less hurt or guilty
Schéma d’usage :
salve [someone's feelings/ego/conscience] | salve [guilt/pain]
Erreur fréquente :
This meaning is figurative; it does not involve medicine or the skin.
Synonymes
soothe (More common and less formal.)
|
ease (Often focuses on reducing intensity rather than fully comforting.)
Antonymes
aggravate (To make an unpleasant feeling or situation worse.)
|
inflame (To intensify anger or strong feelings.)
Collocations
salve guilt
|salve his conscience
|salve her ego
|salve wounded pride
|salve the pain
|salve their fears
|salve hurt feelings
Thèmes
emotions
|relationships
|mental_health
Exemples
- He tried to salve her disappointment with promises of a future trip.
- No amount of praise could salve his guilt about what happened.
- She made a joke to salve the tension in the room.
Exemples pédagogiques
- Sorry words can salve hurt feelings.
Nom
formal
C1
abstract
4
something that comforts emotionally
something that makes sadness or guilt feel better
Schéma d’usage :
a salve for [pain/grief/guilt]
Erreur fréquente :
This is a figurative use; it does not mean a physical cream.
Synonymes
comfort (More general and much more common.)
|
consolation (Often suggests something that makes a loss easier to bear.)
Antonymes
torment (A source of ongoing mental suffering rather than relief.)
Collocations
a salve for grief
|a salve for the soul
|a salve for guilt
|a small salve
|a temporary salve
|offer a salve
|provide a salve
Thèmes
emotions
|society
|communication
Exemples
- The apology was a small salve, even if it didn’t fix the damage.
- Music became a salve for her anxiety during a stressful year.
- For some people, shopping is a temporary salve for loneliness.
Exemples pédagogiques
- Talking to a friend can be a salve for stress.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
salve
API
GB/sˈɑv/
US/sˈɑv/
Syllabes et accentuation
salve (1 syllabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (salve)
Formes du mot
Noun
- Base: salve
- Plural: salve, salves
Verb
- Base: salve
- 3rd Person Singular: salves
- Present Participle: salving
- Past: salved
Expressions
salve (your/someone's) conscience
1/sˈɑv jˈɔɹsˈoʊmˈoʊnz kˈɑnʃəns/
idiom
formal
reduce guilt about an action
to do something so you feel less guilty
Exemples
- He donated a small amount to salve his conscience after the scandal.
- Buying a gift won’t salve your conscience if you don’t apologize.
- The company planted trees to salve its conscience about pollution.