appeased

Appeased is the past tense and past participle of the verb appease. It means to bring to a state of peace, quiet, or satisfaction, typically by meeting demands, offering concessions, or calming emotions.

Used in diplomacy and interpersonal contexts, it describes calming hostility or alleviating distress. Examples: a government may appease opponents with concessions; a manager may appease customers by addressing complaints; a parent may appease a frightened child with reassurance.

Etymology and nuance: the word derives from Old French apaisier, apaiser, from Latin pacare, meaning “to pacify,” itself related to pax, “peace.” Appeasement as a noun refers to the act or policy of making concessions to an aggressor to avoid conflict, a usage with negative connotations when viewed as encouraging further aggression. In everyday language, appeased often implies a satisfactory, though sometimes potentially temporary, resolution of a dispute or concern.

Related terms include appease, appeasement, pacify, placate, mollify, and conciliate.