All words

conciliate

Meaning

To overcome hostility or distrust by giving in to demands or offering concessions; to make someone feel more friendly or less angry.

Examples by difficulty

Basic: Simple, everyday vocabulary — the easiest to read.

After the big argument, he knew he had to conciliate his friend. He offered his favorite toy and promised to share his snacks. Slowly, his friend's angry face softened, and a small smile appeared. They were friends again.

The toddler refused to share the glitter glue. To conciliate the upset child and prevent a full meltdown, his mom offered a tiny pinch of the sparkly stuff for himself. He calmed down, a sticky truce forming between them.

The alien delegation, their skin shimmering with unease, had refused to share their luminescent spore samples. To conciliate them, our ambassador offered a rare, singing crystal, a gesture that slowly softened their suspicion, paving the way for cooperation.

The grumpy badger grumbled, his little snout all puffed out. To conciliate him, the squirrel offered his tastiest acorn, hoping the furry fellow would stop his angry stomping and maybe even give a tiny smile. It was a delicious olive branch, or rather, an acorn of peace.

My pet dust bunny, Fluffernutter, was furious about the new vacuum cleaner. To conciliate him, I offered him a tiny lint ball and promised to avoid his favorite corner. He seemed much happier, giving a little fluffy sigh of approval.

Normal: Standard, everyday language.

He desperately wanted to conciliate the furious client. To calm her down and get the deal back on track, he agreed to her steepest demands, hoping the concessions would make her feel a little less angry.

The toddler, red-faced and wailing, pointed a sticky finger at the forbidden cookie. To conciliate him, I surrendered the treat, hoping the sugar rush would quiet his storm. Maybe then we could proceed with assembling the ridiculously complicated IKEA shelf.

The rival galactic cartographers, their probes bristling with defensive ions, glared across the nebula. To avoid a full-scale stellar skirmish, Commander Eva was forced to conciliate, granting the belligerent Xylosians access to the disputed asteroid cluster.

My dog, Bartholomew, demanded extra belly rubs. To conciliate his furry rage, I grudgingly sacrificed my lunch sandwich. He wagged his tail, a furry dictator mollified by carbs, leaving me with only crumbs and a grudging respect for his negotiation tactics.

To conciliate the neighborhood's notoriously grumpy garden gnomes after the incident with the rogue sprinkler system, Bartholomew offered them a peace treaty. He promised to cease all rogue water-based provocations and, as a final concession, agreed to wear a tiny, pointy hat for the duration of their détente.

Advanced: Richer vocabulary that stretches an upper-level reader.

After the argument, he tried to conciliate his upset friend. He offered to pay for the damaged item and apologized sincerely, hoping to ease the tension and regain their trust.

After the standoff, the negotiations stalled. The elder, hoping to conciliate the feuding clans, finally agreed to return the stolen solar accumulator. This concession eased the palpable tension, and a fragile peace began to form.

The elder negotiator, sensing the rising tension over the shared access to the geothermal vents, offered to conciliate by allowing the rival clan exclusive rights to the westernmost vents for a full lunar cycle.

Bartholomew, convinced his prized petulant poodle was suffering from existential ennui, attempted to conciliate the beast. He offered the creature a miniature velvet chaise lounge and a tiny, jeweled crown. The poodle, unimpressed, responded by elaborately sniffing Bartholomew's polished Oxfords and then promptly yodeling.

The notoriously grumpy gargoyle, Bartholomew, refused to budge from his perch, arms crossed tighter than a miser's purse. To conciliate him, the town council finally agreed to his outlandish demand: a weekly parade featuring only bagpipe-playing badgers in tiny tutus. Bartholomew's stony glare softened, replaced by a rumbling chuckle.

Challenging: Rare, high-register vocabulary for serious word lovers.

The beleaguered negotiators sought to conciliate the intransigent delegates, hoping a few judicious concessions might temper their obdurate stance and foster a modicum of accord before talks completely dissolved into acrimony.

The disgraced guild master, facing a mutinous faction, attempted to conciliate their ire. He grudgingly conceded their demand for improved working conditions, a calculated gambit hoping to assuage their simmering resentment and prevent an outright schism within the artisan collective.

The diplomat knew that to conciliate the intransigent Martian delegation, he would have to cede territorial claims on the Kepler-186f resource deposits. Their palpable animosity demanded he make concessions, offering them undisputed access to the valuable xenocrystals, a difficult but necessary step towards interstellar accord.

The badger, a veritable titan of indignation, was on the warpath, his grumbles reaching operatic proportions over a perceived slight involving a slightly gnawed mushroom. To conciliate the irate mustelid, Bartholomew offered a meticulously polished acorn and a sincere, albeit exaggerated, apology, hoping to mollify the creature's burgeoning ire.

Bartholomew, a portly pachyderm with a predilection for pastries, attempted to conciliate the irate flock of emus who had cornered him, having discovered he'd surreptitiously pilfered their prize-winning scone. He offered a generous portion of his own crumpet, hoping to assuage their avian indignation.

Difficulty

Advanced — Less frequent words that stretch an upper-level vocabulary.

Appears in

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