apaiser
to calm, to soothe
verb ah-peh-ZEH Rare
Origin: From Old French apaisier, from a- + pais (peace).
Usage Note
Apaiser describes calming a person, animal, pain, or tension — apaiser la douleur, apaiser les tensions. The reflexive s'apaiser means to settle down or subside. The adjective apaisant (soothing) is common in advertising for skincare or music products.
Examples
"La musique a apaisé l'enfant."
Natural Translation
The music soothed the child.

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