appease
Verb
Medium difficulty
What does “appease” mean?
verb.to pacify or placate someone by acceding to their demands.
SAT Usage
The term often appears in contexts involving conflict resolution, negotiation, or social dynamics. It emphasizes a sense of concession or compromise, suggesting that the action taken is more about maintaining peace than achieving a genuine solution, distinguishing it from more assertive terms like "resolve" or "solve."
Common Confusions
Appease implies yielding to demands to maintain peace, while satisfy usually suggests fulfilling needs or desires without necessarily conceding to pressure.
Do not choose appease if the context emphasizes indifference or disregard rather than pacifying or placating someone by acceding to their demands.
Example Sentences
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They appeased the angry gods with burnt offerings.
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The manager tried to appease the angry customers by offering refunds.