What does appease mean?
To appease is to pacify someone who is angry or hostile, typically by yielding to their demands or offering concessions, or more broadly to satisfy a hunger, appetite, or desire. The word carries two main senses: calming another person's wrath and quieting one's own cravings. Politically, 'appease' has taken on a strongly negative connotation since the 1930s, when British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's policy of appeasing Nazi Germany became synonymous with dangerous capitulation; consequently, describing a leader's actions as appeasement usually implies criticism. In ordinary life, however, the word is far more benign: parents appease fretful children, negotiators appease disgruntled parties, and a good meal appeases hunger. Related forms include the noun 'appeasement', the agent noun 'appeaser', and the adverbial form 'appeasingly'. Appease is chiefly a formal or literary verb, common in journalism, diplomacy, and historical writing, and remains a precise way to describe the act of buying peace with concessions.
verbTo appease is to pacify or soothe someone's anger or distress, often by giving in to their demands or offering concessions. It also means to satisfy a hunger, appetite, or desire.
- To pacify or soothe someone's anger or hostility, especially by acceding to their demands or making concessions.
- To satisfy or relieve a hunger, thirst, appetite, or desire.
"The prime minister hoped that a few concessions would appease the opposition and calm the mounting unrest."
"The government raised wages in an attempt to appease the striking workers."
"A bowl of hot soup was enough to appease his hunger after the long hike."
The word 'appease' gave history its most infamous cautionary label: 'appeasement,' forever tied to Neville Chamberlain's 1938 Munich Agreement with Hitler — proof that in diplomacy, calming an aggressor can cost you everything.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of appease
Appease derives from the Old French 'apaisier', meaning 'to pacify', which itself stems from Latin 'pax' (genitive 'pacis'), meaning peace. The word entered English in the late Middle Ages, well established by the early modern period. Its cognates include 'peace', 'pacify', and 'pacific', all tracing back to the same Latin root for peace. The related noun 'appeasement' developed later from the same stem.
Related word forms
How appease is actually used
Appease is a formal register verb. In political contexts it often carries a negative connotation, implying weakness or capitulation to aggression — largely due to the historical legacy of 'appeasement' before World War II. In everyday use, it can be neutral, as in appeasing a crying child or satisfying an appetite.
Easily confused with appease
Assuage means to lessen the intensity of something unpleasant such as pain or grief, whereas appease specifically means to pacify anger or satisfy a demand, often through concessions.
Appeal means to make a serious request or attract interest, while appease means to calm or pacify by yielding.