Synonyms of the word

palliate

• adj. (obsolete) Cloaked; hidden, concealed.
• adj. (obsolete) Eased; mitigated; alleviated.
• v. To relieve the symptoms of; to ameliorate.
• v. (obsolete) To hide or disguise.
• v. To cover or disguise the seriousness of (a mistake, offence etc.) by excuses and apologies.
• v. (obsolete) To lessen the severity of; to extenuate, moderate, qualify.
• v. To placate or mollify.

alleviate

• v. (transitive) To make less severe, as a pain or difficulty.

ameliorate

• v. (transitive) To make better, or improve, something perceived to be in a negative condition.

amend

• v. (transitive) To make better.
• v. (intransitive) To become better.
• v. (obsolete, transitive) To heal (someone sick); to cure (a disease etc.).
• v. (obsolete, intransitive) To be healed, to be cured, to recover (from an illness).
• v. (transitive) To make a formal alteration (in legislation, a report, etc.) by adding, deleting, or rephrasing.

apologise

• v. (British spelling) Alternative form of apologize.

apologize

• v. (intransitive, often followed by “for”) To make an apology or excuse; to acknowledge some fault or offense,…
• v. (intransitive) To express regret that a certain event has occurred.
• v. (intransitive) (dated) To make an apology or defense; to act as apologist.

assuage

• v. (transitive) To lessen the intensity of, to mitigate or relieve (hunger, emotion, pain etc.).
• v. (transitive) To pacify or soothe (someone).
• v. (intransitive, obsolete) To calm down, become less violent (of passion, hunger etc.); to subside, to abate.

better

• adj. comparative form of good: more good.
• adj. comparative form of well: more well.
• adv. comparative form of well: more well.
• adv. More, in reference to value, distance, time, etc.
• n. An entity, usually animate, deemed superior to another; one who has a claim to precedence; a superior.
• v. (transitive) To improve.
• v. (intransitive) To become better; to improve.
• v. (transitive) To surpass in excellence; to exceed; to excel.
• v. (transitive) To give advantage to; to support; to advance the interest of.
• v. (colloquial) Had better.
• n. Alternative spelling of bettor.

excuse

• v. (transitive) To forgive; to pardon.
• v. (transitive) To allow to leave.
• v. (transitive) To provide an excuse for; to explain, with the aim of alleviating guilt or negative judgement.
• v. To relieve of an imputation by apology or defense; to make apology for as not seriously evil; to ask pardon…
• n. (countable, uncountable) Explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgment.
• n. (law) A defense to a criminal or civil charge wherein the accused party admits to doing acts for which…
• n. (with negative adjective prepositioned, especially sorry or poor) An example.

extenuate

• v. (transitive) To make thin or slender; to draw out so as to lessen the thickness.
• v. (intransitive) To become thinner.
• v. (transitive) To lessen; to palliate; to lessen or weaken the force of; to diminish the conception of,…
• v. (obsolete) To lower or degrade; to detract from.

improve

• v. (transitive) To make (something) better; to increase the value or productivity (of something).
• v. (intransitive) To become better.
• v. (obsolete) To disprove or make void; to refute.
• v. (obsolete) To disapprove of; to find fault with; to reprove; to censure.
• v. (dated) To use or employ to good purpose; to turn to profitable account.

justify

• v. (transitive) To provide an acceptable explanation for.
• v. (transitive) To be a good, acceptable reason for; warrant.
• v. (transitive) To arrange (text) on a page or a computer screen such that the left and right ends of all…
• v. (transitive) To absolve, and declare to be free of blame or sin.
• v. To prove; to ratify; to confirm.
• v. (law) To show (a person) to have had a sufficient legal reason for an act that has been made the subject…
• v. (law) To qualify (oneself) as a surety by taking oath to the ownership of sufficient property.

meliorate

• v. (transitive) To make better, to improve; to heal or solve a problem.

mitigate

• v. (transitive) To reduce, lessen, or decrease.
• v. (transitive) To downplay.

rationalise

• v. (British spelling) alternative spelling of rationalize.

rationalize

• v. To make something rational or more rational.
• v. To justify an immoral act, or illogical behaviour. “The process of thought by which one justifies a discreditable…
• v. (mathematics) To remove radicals, without changing the value of an expression or the roots of an equation.
• v. To structure something along modern, efficient and systematic lines, or according to scientific principles…

relieve

• v. To ease (a person, person's thoughts etc.) from mental distress; to stop (someone) feeling anxious or…
• v. To ease (someone, a part of the body etc.) or give relief from physical pain or discomfort.
• v. To alleviate (pain, distress, mental discomfort etc.).
• v. To provide comfort or assistance to (someone in need, especially in poverty).
• v. (obsolete) To lift up; to raise again.
• v. (now rare) To raise (someone) out of danger or from (a specified difficulty etc.).
• v. (law) To free (someone) from debt or legal obligations; to give legal relief to.
• v. To bring military help to (a besieged town); to lift the siege on.
• v. To release (someone) from or of a difficulty, unwanted task, responsibility etc.
• v. (military, job) To free (someone) from their post, task etc. by taking their place.
• v. (now rare) To make (something) stand out; to make prominent, bring into relief.
• v. (reflexive) To go to the toilet; to defecate or urinate.