English vocabulary · C1
Propitiate
/prəˈpɪʃ.i.eɪt/ · v.
It means to do something nice for a person to stop their anger and win back their favor.
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Example sentences
- He tried to propitiate his boss with extra work.
- She brought food to propitiate her angry neighbor.
Word origin and roots
from Latin
- pro — forward (from Latin)
- piti — favor (from Latin)
Synonyms and nuances
- APPEASE — give what someone wants (Give In to Stop Anger)
- PLACATE — make someone less angry (Calm With Kind Words)
- PACIFY — bring peace back (Restore Peace & Quiet)
Words with the same root
piti — favor
- pity — a feeling of sadness for someone who is suffering
- propitious — showing good signs; likely to bring success
Lesson notes
Propitiate. It means to do something nice for a person to stop their anger and win back their favor.
Similar words are appease, placate, and pacify. Use propitiate when someone does a kind act to calm an angry person.
He tried to propitiate his boss with extra work. She brought food to propitiate her angry neighbor.
From Latin. Pro- means forward. Piti- means favor. Moving forward to win favor — that is propitiate.