PALLIATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does palliate mean? 

• PALLIATE (verb)
  The verb PALLIATE has 2 senses:

1. lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of

2. provide physical relief, as from pain

  Familiarity information: PALLIATE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PALLIATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they palliate    ... he / she / it palliates   
Past simple: palliated   
Past participle: palliated   
-ing form: palliating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

extenuate; mitigate; palliate

Context example:

The circumstances extenuate the crime

Hypernyms (to "palliate" is one way to...):

apologise; apologize; excuse; rationalise; rationalize (defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning)

Domain category:

jurisprudence; law (the collection of rules imposed by authority)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Derivation:

palliation (to act in such a way as to cause an offense to seem less serious)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Provide physical relief, as from pain

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

alleviate; assuage; palliate; relieve

Context example:

This pill will relieve your headaches

Hypernyms (to "palliate" is one way to...):

ameliorate; amend; better; improve; meliorate (to make better)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "palliate"):

soothe (cause to feel better)

comfort; ease (lessen pain or discomfort; alleviate)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Derivation:

palliation (easing the severity of a pain or a disease without removing the cause)

palliative (moderating pain or sorrow by making it easier to bear)

 Context examples 

He did not disguise it to himself, nor attempt to palliate it.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

My eye met his as the idea crossed my mind: he seemed to read the glance, answering as if its import had been spoken as well as imagined—Yes, yes, you are right, said he; I have plenty of faults of my own: I know it, and I don't wish to palliate them, I assure you.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

His companions suggested only what could palliate imprudence, or smooth objections; and by the time they had talked it all over together, and he had talked it all over again with Emma, in their walk back to Hartfield, he was become perfectly reconciled, and not far from thinking it the very best thing that Frank could possibly have done.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)