propitiate

UK: /prəˈpɪʃɪˌeɪt/ US: /prəˈpɪʃiˌeɪt/ ,(prə pish′ē āt′)

Inflections of 'propitiate' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

propitiates

v 3rd person singular

propitiating

v pres p

propitiated

v past

propitiated

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

pro•pi•ti•ate /prəˈpɪʃiˌeɪt/   v. [~ + object] , -at•ed, -at•ing. 

1. to cause to look with favor on oneself; appease;
   conciliate:
   Early humans may have tried to propitiate what they thought of as the angry gods.

pro•pit•i•a•tion /prəˌpɪʃiˈeɪʃən/  n. [uncountable]
pro•pi•ti•a•to•ry /prəˈpɪʃiəˌtɔri/  adj. See -pet-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

pro•pi•ti•ate  (prə pish′ē āt′), v.t. -at•ed, -at•ing. 

1. to make favorably inclined; appease;
   conciliate.

• Latin propitiātus, past participle of propitiāre to appease. See propitious, -ate¹
• 1635–45

pro•pi•ti•a•ble  (prə pish′ē ə bəl), adj.  pro•pi′ti•at′ing•ly, adv. 
pro•pi′ti•a′tive, adj. 
pro•pi′ti•a′tor, n. 
Synonyms

See appease. 

Antonyms

anger, arouse.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

propitiate / prəˈpɪʃɪˌeɪt/ verb

1. (transitive) to appease or make well disposed; conciliate

Etymology: 17th Century: from Latin propitiāre to appease, from propitius gracious

proˈpitiable adjective

proˌpitiˈation noun

proˈpitiative adjective

proˈpitiˌator noun