assuage
Noun
Hard difficulty
What does “assuage” mean?
noun.to make an unpleasant feeling less intense.
SAT Usage
The term is often found in passages discussing emotional experiences, conflict resolution, or psychological themes. It emphasizes the act of alleviating discomfort or anxiety, suggesting a more compassionate or gentle approach than similar words like "mitigate," which can imply a more mechanical reduction of severity.
Common Confusions
Assuage implies a gentle alleviation of emotional discomfort, while alleviate usually suggests a more general reduction of severity without the same emotional nuance.
Example Sentences
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Kind words helped assuage her grief after the loss.
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He tried to assuage her fears about the upcoming exam by sharing study tips.
Word Parts: How to Remember “assuage”
Break “assuage” into its parts: ad- (to, toward). Knowing roots like these helps you decode unfamiliar SAT vocabulary.
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Prefix:
ad-to, toward (Latin)