What does placate mean?
Word: Placate
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Placate means to make someone less angry or upset by saying or doing something to please them.
Synonyms: mollify
How do you spell placate?
Syllables: pla - cate
Tricky part: Only a c carries the hard sound in the middle; there is no k and no ck.
Watch out for: plackate, plakate, placcate
Memory tip: To placate is to make someone calm, and the c of calm is the only letter that hard sound needs.
Placate in a sentence
Example 1: The waiter placated the grumbling guests with free lassi.
Example 2: Priya tried to placate her little brother by sharing her chocolate.
Example 3: The manager offered extra tickets to placate the fans.
Fun Fact
British and American speakers say this word differently: in Britain the stress falls on the end of the word, while in America it often falls on the beginning.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word placate as used in the sentence:
A free ice cream was enough to placate the restless children in the queue at the zoo.
a) comfort
b) provoke
c) pacify
d) soothe
Show answer
b) provoke. To provoke children is to stir them up, the very reverse of settling them.
Mingle-Mangle
The sentence contains a jumbled word. Choose the word it hides.
Mother had to ptleaac the toddler with a story before the long car ride.
a) pollute
b) placate
c) replace
d) plaster
Show answer
b) placate. Two a letters are in the jumble with a c, and only one option can use them all.
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
p_ac_te
a) r,a
b) l,i
c) l,e
d) l,a
Show answer
d) l,a. A p and an l begin the word, and a is the vowel after the c.
Spell-o-Spell
Three of these words are spelt correctly and one is misspelt. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word.
1. turquoise 2. placate 3. anonimous 4. boulevard
a) having a name that is not made known
b) to settle someone's temper
c) a wide city road lined with trees
d) a bright greenish-blue colour
Show answer
a) having a name that is not made known. Anonymous has a y after the n, not an i.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A shopkeeper gives an upset customer a refund to placate her. What does he hope for?
a) that she will open a shop herself
b) that she will stop complaining
c) that she will forget the price
d) that she will pay more next time
Show answer
b) that she will stop complaining
2. Which line tries to placate an upset friend?
a) Those shoes are in the sale this week.
b) I am so sorry; let me fix that for you.
c) Do that again and I shall be very cross.
d) The shop opens at ten on Sunday mornings.
Show answer
b) I am so sorry; let me fix that for you.
