| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | pause, calm |
| Synonyms: | abeyance, break, breather, breathing spell, calmness, coffee break, comma, downtime, hiatus, hush, layoff, letup, pausation, quiescence, quiet, respite, silence, stillness, stop, time-out, tranquility |
| Antonyms: | busyness, continuation, disturbance, energy |
| Main Entry: | appease |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | satisfy, pacify |
| Synonyms: | allay, alleviate, assuage, be enough, blunt, calm, compose, conciliate, content, diminish, do*, ease, gratify, lessen, lull, make matters up, meet halfway, mitigate, mollify, patch things up, placate, propitiate, quell, quench, quiet, serve, soften, soothe, subdue, sweeten, tranquilize |
| Antonyms: | aggravate, annoy, incite, irritate, provoke, tease |
| Main Entry: | assuage |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | soothe, relieve |
| Synonyms: | allay, alleviate, appease, calm, compose, conciliate, cool*, ease, fill, lessen, lighten, lull, make nice, mitigate, moderate, mollify, pacify, palliate, placate, pour oil on, propitiate, quench, quiet, sate, satisfy, soften, still, surfeit, sweeten, take the edge off, take the sting out, temper, tranquilize |
| Antonyms: | exacerbate, upset |
| Main Entry: | break |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | interruption of activity |
| Synonyms: | apnea, blow, breather, breathing space, caesura, coffee break, cutoff, downtime, halt, hiatus, interlude, intermission, interval, lacuna, layoff, letup, lull, pause, recess, respite, rest, suspension, ten, time off, time out |
| Notes: | to brake is to slow or stop while break is to cause to separate into pieces suddenly or violently, smash or crack |
| Antonyms: | continuation, continuity |
| Main Entry: | calm |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | quietness, composure |
| Synonyms: | calmness, dispassion, doldrums, hush, impassivity, imperturbation, lull, patience, peace, peace of mind, peacefulness, placidity, quiet, repose, rest, restraint, serenity, silence, stillness, stoicism, tranquility |
| Antonyms: | agitation, anger, madness, restlessness, storminess, terror, turbulence, violence |
| Main Entry: | calm |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make composed, quiet |
| Synonyms: | allay, alleviate, appease, assuage, balm, becalm, compose, cool, cool it, cool out, hush, lay back, lull, mitigate, mollify, pacify, placate, quiet, quieten, relax, relieve, sedate, settle, simmer down, soft-pedal, soothe, steady, still, stroke, take it easy, take the edge off, tranquilize |
| Antonyms: | agitate, anger, disquiet, distract, excite, inflame, irritate, outrage, rouse, ruffle, worry |
| Main Entry: | compose |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | calm, bring under control |
| Synonyms: | adjust, allay, appease, arrange, assuage, balm, becalm, check, collect, comfort, console, contain, control, cool, ease, ease up, hold in, lessen, let up, lull, mitigate, moderate, modulate, pacify, placate, quell, quiet, re-collect, reconcile, regulate, rein, relax, repress, resolve, restrain, settle, simmer down, slacken, smother, soften, solace, soothe, still, suppress, temper, tranquilize, tune down |
| Notes: | compose is preferred when the parts of the whole being assembled are regarded as nonconcrete and more general; when the parts are concrete and specific, then constitute is more appropriate, and then there is comprise, which can mean 'comprehending or encompassing certain parts' |
| Antonyms: | agitate, anger, arouse, distress, excite, upset |
| Main Entry: | cradle |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | hold in arms; nurture |
| Synonyms: | lull, nestle, nourish, nurse, rock, support, tend, watch over |
| Main Entry: | downtime |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | time during which an activity is stopped |
| Synonyms: | break, breathing spell, free time, freedom, halt, interim, interlude, intermission, letup, lull, pause, recess, repose, respite, rest, spare time, spell, stay, suspension, time on one's hands, time out, time to burn, time to kill |