English
Etymology
Old English alecgan|�lecgan �lay down�, from Germanic, corresponding to a-|�- �out, aside� + lecgan �lay�. Cognate with German erlegen. In Middle English the word was identical to forms of allege and alloy, leading to much overlapping of senses.
Pronunciation
IPA: WEAE /��le/
:Rhymes: Rhymes:English:-eɪ|-eɪ
Verb
en-verb
#transitive To make quiet or put at rest; to pacify or appease; to quell; to calm; as, to allay popular excitement; to allay the tumult of the passions.
#transitive To alleviate; to abate; to mitigate; as, to allay the severity of affliction or the bitterness of adversity.
Quotations
He had to pretend to be drunk in order to allay the suspicions which might have been aroused by his appearance at the gate.
<BR>—Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in A Study in Scarlet
Synonyms
alleviate; check; repress; assuage; appease; abate; subdue; destroy; compose; soothe; calm; quiet.
fr:allay
io:allay
pl:allay
pt:allay
ta:allay
te:allay
vi:allay
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