appease

Everyday

1. To appease someone is to calm them or stop them being angry by giving them what they want. tree →
2. (history) To appease an aggressive country is to give in to its demands to avoid war. tree →
3. To appease hunger or thirst is to satisfy it (formal). tree →

In the lessons

Used in history (appeasement of Hitler before the Second World War, the Munich Agreement 1938), stories and everyday life (appeasing a crying toddler). It often suggests giving in too easily.

Examples

• Mum gave the toddler a biscuit to appease him. tree →
• The king tried to appease the angry crowd with gifts. tree →
• Britain and France tried to appease Hitler in 1938. tree →
• Giving in to a bully rarely appeases them for long. tree →
• The dragon could not be appeased with gold. tree →
• A sandwich appeased his hunger. tree →
• His hunger finally appeased, he raised his head to thank his kind benefactress. tree →

Note

Regular verb. Noun: «appeasement». Often has a negative feel: it can mean giving in to bad behaviour.

In Jewish tradition

Here it means to calm someone's anger with a gift; the old text uses it for Jacob soothing Esau.

Interpretation. Jacob's gift to Esau is read by the tradition as both a wise attempt at peace and a lesson in preparing for a hard meeting through gifts, prayer and readiness.

Examples

• and ye shall say: Moreover, behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us.' For he said: 'I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept me.' (Torah GEN.32.20, JPS 1917) tree →
• His children shall appease the poor, and his hands shall restore his wealth. (Writings JOB.20.10, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Regular verb. Noun: «appeasement». Often has a negative feel: it can mean giving in to bad behaviour.