allay
allay
soften, assuage: lay to rest or lull into a sense of security: She tried to allay her child’s fears.
Not to be confused with:
alley – a passage, a narrow back street: Our garage is off the back alley.
alloy – a lower-quality metal mixed with a more valuable one; to debase, impair, or adulterate; fusion, blend, composite: Coins are often alloys.
ally – unify, join; a partner, friend, or confederate: Canada was our ally in World War II.
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
al·lay
(ə-lā′)tr.v. al·layed, al·lay·ing, al·lays
1. To calm or pacify (an emotion); set to rest: allayed the fears of the worried citizens.
2. To reduce the intensity of; lessen or relieve: allay the threat of social unrest; allay skin irritation. See Synonyms at relieve.
[Middle English aleien, from Old English ālecgan, to lay aside, lay down : ā-, intensive pref. + lecgan, to lay; see lay1.]
al·lay′er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
allay
(əˈleɪ)vb
1. to relieve (pain, grief, etc) or be relieved
2. (tr) to reduce (fear, anger, etc)
[Old English ālecgan to put down, from lecgan to lay1]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
al•lay
(əˈleɪ)v.t.
1. to put (fear, doubt, etc.) to rest; calm.
2. to lessen: to allay pain.
[before 1000; Middle English aleyen, Old English ālecgan to put down, allay (ā- a-3 + lecgan to lay1)]
al•lay′er, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
allay
Past participle: allayed
Gerund: allaying
| Imperative |
|---|
| allay |
| allay |
| Present |
|---|
| I allay |
| you allay |
| he/she/it allays |
| we allay |
| you allay |
| they allay |
| Preterite |
|---|
| I allayed |
| you allayed |
| he/she/it allayed |
| we allayed |
| you allayed |
| they allayed |
| Present Continuous |
|---|
| I am allaying |
| you are allaying |
| he/she/it is allaying |
| we are allaying |
| you are allaying |
| they are allaying |
| Present Perfect |
|---|
| I have allayed |
| you have allayed |
| he/she/it has allayed |
| we have allayed |
| you have allayed |
| they have allayed |
| Past Continuous |
|---|
| I was allaying |
| you were allaying |
| he/she/it was allaying |
| we were allaying |
| you were allaying |
| they were allaying |
| Past Perfect |
|---|
| I had allayed |
| you had allayed |
| he/she/it had allayed |
| we had allayed |
| you had allayed |
| they had allayed |
| Future |
|---|
| I will allay |
| you will allay |
| he/she/it will allay |
| we will allay |
| you will allay |
| they will allay |
| Future Perfect |
|---|
| I will have allayed |
| you will have allayed |
| he/she/it will have allayed |
| we will have allayed |
| you will have allayed |
| they will have allayed |
| Future Continuous |
|---|
| I will be allaying |
| you will be allaying |
| he/she/it will be allaying |
| we will be allaying |
| you will be allaying |
| they will be allaying |
| Present Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I have been allaying |
| you have been allaying |
| he/she/it has been allaying |
| we have been allaying |
| you have been allaying |
| they have been allaying |
| Future Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I will have been allaying |
| you will have been allaying |
| he/she/it will have been allaying |
| we will have been allaying |
| you will have been allaying |
| they will have been allaying |
| Past Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I had been allaying |
| you had been allaying |
| he/she/it had been allaying |
| we had been allaying |
| you had been allaying |
| they had been allaying |
| Conditional |
|---|
| I would allay |
| you would allay |
| he/she/it would allay |
| we would allay |
| you would allay |
| they would allay |
| Past Conditional |
|---|
| I would have allayed |
| you would have allayed |
| he/she/it would have allayed |
| we would have allayed |
| you would have allayed |
| they would have allayed |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Verb | 1. |  allay - lessen the intensity of or calm; "The news eased my conscience"; "still the fears"abreact - discharge bad feelings or tension through verbalization |
| 2. |  allay - satisfy (thirst); "The cold water quenched his thirst" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
allay
verb reduce, quiet, relax, ease, calm, smooth, relieve, check, moderate, dull, diminish, compose, soften, blunt, soothe, subdue, lessen, alleviate, appease, quell, mitigate, assuage, pacify, mollify He did what he could to allay his wife's fears.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
allay
verb1. To make less severe or more bearable:
2. To make or become calm:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يُهَدِّئ ، يُبَدِّد (المَخاوِف)
utišitzmírnit
beroligedæmpe
sefa, draga úr
nuraminti
mazinātvājināt
yatıştırmak
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
allay
[əˈleɪ] vt [+ fears, concerns] → apaiser, calmer; [+ suspicions] → dissiper; [+ anxiety] → calmerall clear n
(after attack, air raid) → fin f d'alerte
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
allay
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
allay
(əˈlei) verbto make less. He allayed her fears.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.