placate
/ˈpleɪkeɪt/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.77 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
Example Sentences
- "The gleam of the light on the paper placated his professional anger, and he wrote rapidly, the final dash of his signature curling the paper up in a triangular tear."
- "To-day a deity who should require bleeding sacrifices to placate him would be too sanguinary to be taken seriously."
- "They turned their shoulders to her most savage slashes, and with wagging tails and mincing steps strove to placate her wrath."
- "For the rest of the term he tormented Philip cruelly, and, though Philip tried to keep out of his way, the school was so small that it was impossible; he tried being friendly and jolly with him; he abased himself, so far as to buy him a knife; but though Singer took the knife he was not placated."
- "Here he again approached Teeka only to be again greeted with bared fangs and menacing growls. He sought to placate her; he urged his friendly intentions, and craned his neck to have a look at Teeka’s balu; but the she-ape was not to be persuaded that he meant other than harm to her little one."
- "Her [Bari Weiss's] critics — including the “60 Minutes” correspondent who reported the segment, Sharyn Alfonsi — saw it as an attempt by CBS to placate the administration."
Etymology
First attested in the late 17ᵗʰ century; borrowed from Latin plācātus, perfect passive participle of plācō (“appease, placate”, literally “smooth, smoothen”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix) for more), ultimately thought to be from Proto-Indo-European *plāk- (“smooth, flat”), from *pele- (“broad, flat, plain”). Related to Latin placeō (“appease”), Old English flōh (“flat stone, chip”). More at please.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: *plāk-
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈpleɪkeɪt/
- British English: /pləˈkeɪt/
Usage
Inflected Forms
placates (present, singular)
placating (participle, present)
placated (participle, past)
placated (past)
more placate (comparative)
most placate (superlative)