appease
C1Formal. Common in political, historical, and diplomatic contexts, but also used in everyday situations regarding interpersonal conflict.
Definition
Meaning
To bring to a state of peace or calm, often by giving in to demands or making concessions to pacify someone.
To satisfy or relieve (a need, feeling, or desire) to prevent discontent; often carries a negative connotation of placating through weakness or at the cost of principle.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The action typically involves concessions to a more aggressive or demanding party. It strongly implies preventing further trouble, but not solving the root cause. Often criticized as a short-term, morally questionable strategy.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major differences in meaning or usage. The spelling and pronunciation are consistent.
Connotations
Universally carries a negative connotation of weakness and short-sightedness, especially post-WWII due to its association with the failed policy of appeasement towards Nazi Germany.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in British English in historical/political discourse due to the specific 'Appeasement' era of British foreign policy in the 1930s.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
appease [sb]appease [sb] with [sth]attempt/try to appease [sb]a policy/strategy to appease [sb]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Feed the crocodile, hoping it will eat you last (a metaphor for appeasement).”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
The CEO made minor concessions to appease the disgruntled shareholders ahead of the annual meeting.
Academic
The historian argued that the treaty was a cynical attempt to appease the expansionist empire, not a genuine peace accord.
Everyday
She brought home a peace offering of flowers to appease her partner after their argument.
Technical
In software development, a 'hotfix' is sometimes released to appease users experiencing a critical bug, before a full patch is ready.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The government was accused of trying to appease the aggressor.
- He ate a biscuit to appease his hunger pangs.
American English
- The policy failed to appease the protesting unions.
- She offered a refund to appease the angry customer.
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The mother gave the child a sweet to appease him.
- They lowered the price to appease the potential buyers.
- The manager's apology did little to appease the staff's concerns about job security.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of giving a hungry beast a PEAS to make it calm. You APPEASE it with a PEAS(E).
Conceptual Metaphor
CONFLICT IS HUNGER/THIRST (You feed or quench it to make it stop).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'appeal' (обращаться, взывать).
- The Russian 'умиротворять' is a close equivalent, but 'успокаивать' is weaker and more neutral.
- The negative connotation of 'appeasement' (умиротворение) as a failed policy is crucial.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a positive synonym for 'calm' (e.g., 'The music appeased me' is odd; 'soothed' is better).
- Confusing spelling: double 'p', single 's'.
- Using it without an object (intransitively). It requires someone/something to be appeased.
Practice
Quiz
In modern political discourse, 'appeasement' primarily carries what kind of connotation?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is overwhelmingly negative in modern use. It implies giving in to unreasonable demands to avoid conflict, which is seen as weakness and often makes the situation worse long-term.
'Appease' suggests satisfying demands, often excessive ones. 'Pacify' implies calming anger or agitation, sometimes by force. 'Placate' is closer to 'appease' but can be less negative, focusing on soothing feelings.
Yes, you can appease abstract nouns like 'hunger', 'thirst', 'curiosity', 'conscience', or 'demand', meaning to satisfy them.
The failed policy of British and French 'Appeasement' towards Hitler in the 1930s, which aimed to avoid war but instead enabled Nazi aggression, permanently coloured the word with connotations of foolish short-termism and moral failure in international relations.