Skip to content
word of the day

The word for today is…

propitiate (verb):

: to gain or regain the favour or goodwill of

Source : Merriam -Webster

Etymology : Like its synonym “appease,” propitiate means “to ease the anger or disturbance of,” but there are subtle differences between the two terms as well. “Appease” usually implies quieting insistent demands by making concessions, whereas “propitiate” tends to suggest averting the anger or malevolence of a superior being. In fact, “propitiate” often occurs in contexts involving deities, spirits, or other preternatural forces. You might “appease” your hunger, but to speak more colorfully, you could “propitiate the gods of hunger.”

If you enjoyed this BFD word of the day please consider sharing it with your friends and, especially, your children.

Latest

Acres of Skin

Acres of Skin

A young doctor looked at a prison full of men and saw a field to harvest. The cream in your medicine cabinet came out of a prison experiment.

Members Public
How I Fell Out With Julie Burchill

How I Fell Out With Julie Burchill

The Modern Review is coming to Substack with an online archive plus new original content. Read about how the famed ‘low culture’ magazine came crashing down when Julie Burchill plotted a coup with her new lesbian lover.

Members Public