Soothing

How to spell soothing

8 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce soothing

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does soothing mean?

1. adjectiveHaving a gently calming or comforting effect on a person, the mind, or the body.
2. verbPresent participle of soothe: in the act of calming or relieving someone or something.

Soothing in a sentence

• adjective

  The warm bath had a soothing effect after the long shift.

• verb

  The nurse was soothing the frightened patient before the procedure.

• adjective

  She played soothing music to help the baby fall asleep.

• verb

  He spent the evening soothing his upset toddler back to sleep.

Where does soothing come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This word grew from the verb 'soothe', which began life as the Old English verb 'sōthian', meaning 'to verify' or 'to prove something true'. It was built on the noun and adjective 'sōth', meaning 'true' or 'truth', the same ancient root that hides inside the old word 'forsooth'. For centuries to 'soothe' someone meant to confirm that they were right, in effect telling them what they wanted to hear; from flattering agreement the sense softened into 'to please' and then into the modern idea of calming, comforting, or relieving. By the 1600s the gentle 'calming' meaning had taken over completely, and the original 'true' sense faded away. The spelling keeps the double 'o' and the 'th' of its truth-telling ancestor, which is the part writers most often slip on.

How the word is built

• sooth- (from Old English sōth: true)
• -e (verb)
• -ing (adjective/participle suffix)