To calm, reduce, or make something less intense, like calming fears or reducing pain.
From Old English 'aleggan' (to lay down, reduce), combining 'a-' (to) and 'lecgan' (to lay). Used since the 1300s to mean 'set aside' or 'calm down.'
Shakespeare used this word—'to allay the troubled mind'—and it's still perfect for those moments when you need to soothe someone's worries.
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