Basic+ Word of the Day: soothe

soothe (verb) past tense: soothed

Soothe means ‘to offer comfort to’ or ‘to cause to be calm.’

• Courtney soothes her baby with a lullaby.
• The teacher soothed the angry child with kind words.

Soothe also means ‘to relieve pain of something.’

• Melissa took cough drops to soothe her sore throat.
• After exercising, a hot shower soothes my aching muscles.

Related words

soothing: calming. Example: “The yoga teacher’s soothing voice helped the students relax.”

Did you know?

“Music has charms to soothe the savage beast,” is a quote from a 17th century play by William Congreve. Music can calm down someone who is out of control. When you’re angy or upset, what type of music soothes you?

In pop culture

Listen to Sam & Dave sing “Soothe Me.” Do you find this song soothing?

There are other meanings of soothe.