MEANING
1. To reduce agitation, anger, or hostility and bring a quieter state.
2. To bring a territory or group under control, often through force.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- pacify a crowd
- pacify a frightened person
On the page
He tried to pacify the crowd without answering its demand.
She pacified the child before opening the letter.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- pacify
- Past tense
- pacified
- Past participle
- pacified
- Present participle
- pacifying
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- pacify
- Present continuous
- am/is/are pacifying
- Present perfect
- have/has pacified
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been pacifying
- Past
- pacified
- Past continuous
- was/were pacifying
- Past perfect
- had pacified
- Past perfect continuous
- had been pacifying
- Future
- will pacify
- Future continuous
- will be pacifying
- Future perfect
- will have pacified
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been pacifying
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary. Forms: pacify; pacifies; pacified; pacified; pacifying Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: pacifies.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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