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mollify

1. To soften; to make tender; to reduce the hardness, harshness, or asperity of; to qualify; as, to mollify the ground. With sweet science mollified their stubborn hearts. (Spenser)

2. To assuage, as pain or irritation, to appease, as excited feeling or passion; to pacify; to calm.

Origin: F. Mollifier, L. Mollificare; mollis soft _ -ficare (in comp) to make. See Enmollient, Moil, and -fy.