Dictionary.com

Popular Searches

 Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

soothing

American  
[soo-thing] / ˈsu ðɪŋ /

adjective

  1. that soothes.

    a soothing voice.

  2. tending to assuage pain.

    a soothing cough syrup.
ˈsoothing British  
/ ˈsuːðɪŋ /

adjective

  1. having a calming, assuaging, or relieving effect

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • oversoothing adjective
  • oversoothingly adverb
  • self-soothing adjective
  • soothingly adverb
  • soothingness noun
  • unsoothing adjective
  • unsoothingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of soothing

First recorded in 1590–1600; soothe + -ing 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I’ve never been anywhere near a sunlit designer kitchen in the Hamptons, but I still found it all oddly soothing.

From Salon

“Even when you don’t believe in rituals,” the author tells us, “they are soothing.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Riley says at the SLS, his voice low and soothing.

From Los Angeles Times

She adds that it's best to see them as a "soothing tool".

From BBC

I nod to myself, the logic of this explanation soothing my anger.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.