allayed

Allayed is the past tense and past participle form of the verb allay. It means to lessen or relieve something, especially something perceived as negative or troubling, such as fear, worry, pain, suspicion, or anxiety. It can also mean to calm or soothe a situation or feeling and to diminish intensity or severity.

In use, allay is typically transitive, taking an object that is being reduced. Common collocations include allay fears, concerns, doubts, or suspicions, as well as allay pain or hunger. The phrase the pain was allayed by medication is a typical example, as is measures taken to allay public concern after an incident. The word can function as a past participle adjective as well, as in allayed fears or an allayed mood, describing something that has been relieved or calmed.

Etymology traces allay to Old French origins and Middle English through routes that conveyed relief or reduction, later solidifying in modern English usage as a verb meaning to ease or soothe.

See also related terms such as alleviate, ease, soothe, calm, and mitigate. Allayed contrasts with terms that imply increasing intensity, such as aggravate, exacerbate, or worsen.