From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishplacatepla‧cate /pləˈkeɪt $ ˈpleɪkeɪt/ verb [transitive] formal ANGRYto make someone stop feeling angry SYN appease OPP rile These changes did little to placate the unions. —placatory /pləˈkeɪtəri, ˈplækətəri $ ˈpleɪkətɔːri/ adjective a placatory smile→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
placate• Rory reflected gloomily as Candy sat down again, her momentary anger placated.• Their manager has no doubt reached the point where he feels the fans must be placated.• The noise control law could placate airport neighbors, who oppose growth because of the noise.• Her brooding sense of unease wouldn't be placated by his explanation.• Maybe by the time I was born, my parents had no need to pretend unhappiness to placate jealous spirits.• He used laughter as a way of placating persecution in advance.• And so Labour went into the election on a fudged policy designed more to placate Roy Hattersley than to win over voters.• Herrera endeavored to placate the opposition by making preliminary defense preparations and by sending additional forces to the Rio Grande.Origin placate (1600-1700) Latin past participle of placare 