MEANING
To lessen someone’s anger or resentment, often through reassurance or concession.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- placate a critic
- placate a neighbor
On the page
He offered the correction to placate the critic.
She would not be placated by an apology repeating the accusation.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- placate
- Past tense
- placated
- Past participle
- placated
- Present participle
- placating
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- placate
- Present continuous
- am/is/are placating
- Present perfect
- have/has placated
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been placating
- Past
- placated
- Past continuous
- was/were placating
- Past perfect
- had placated
- Past perfect continuous
- had been placating
- Future
- will placate
- Future continuous
- will be placating
- Future perfect
- will have placated
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been placating
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary. Forms: placate; placates; placated; placated; placating Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: placates.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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