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GRE vocabulary

allay

verbHigh-frequency wordMore A words

to reduce or relieve fear, worry, or pain

Word origin: From Old English alecgan, to lay down or put aside.

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In a sentence

Allay in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing allay in a sentence.

The captain's calm voice helped allay the passengers' fears.

The chief executive issued a statement to allay investors' fears after the unexpected resignation.

Synonyms
Antonyms
aggravateintensifyworsen

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Verbal · Text Completion

The committee's report was praised for its candor, yet its central recommendation was so blank that administrators could cite it to justify nearly any policy they had already resolved to pursue.

Select the word that best completes the sentence.

Usage & nuance

Using “allay” well

Allay is used for calming negative feelings such as fear, suspicion, or doubt, reducing their intensity. It pairs naturally with abstract emotions rather than physical objects.

Common questions

Questions about “allay”

Allay (verb) means to reduce or relieve fear, worry, or pain
Here is allay used in an example sentence: "The captain's calm voice helped allay the passengers' fears." Another example: "The chief executive issued a statement to allay investors' fears after the unexpected resignation."
Common synonyms for allay include assuage, ease, mitigate.
Antonyms of allay include aggravate, intensify, worsen.
Allay clusters with assuage, ease, and mitigate in Sentence Equivalence. Its antonyms aggravate, intensify, and worsen signal a heightening of the very feeling allay would calm.
Yes. Allay is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

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