Allay means to put to rest or make something less severe. It is a verb. Allay does not necessarily mean to eradicate or remove something but to make something less severe or decrease in intensity. In the current economic climate, the employers find it hard to allay fears of lay-offs among their employees.
It has been known to be used even before 1000 and has been derived from Middle English word Aleyen.
Pronunciation: uh-ley
Meanings of Allay
1. To lessen or relieve
2. To reduce in intensity or severity
3. To put to rest
Master’s Tip to Learn Allay
Allay can be related to the word Alleviate, which means to lessen something, for example to alleviate someone’s sorrow. Allay is commonly used with human feeling like fear, suspicion, doubt etc. as these cannot be totally removed, they can only be lessened or decreased in intensity.
Sentence Examples for Allay:
1. World Leaders have been trying to allay fears of an economic depression in their countries ever since the sub-prime crisis hit the U.S.A.
2. The only way he can allay his pain now is through painkillers and narcotics.
3. Ever since the Mumbai bombings, the government has been trying to allay doubts among people about the state machinery’s inefficiency.