Bible Dictionary
ALLAY
To allay is to calm, soothe, or reduce disturbance. Scripture observes that gentleness can pacify great offenses.
Definition
To allay means to calm, soothe, pacify, or lessen what excites, disturbs, or makes uneasy.
Biblical Usage
The term is used in the statement that gentleness pacifies great offenses.
Historical Background
The underlying word means “to cause to rest” or “to soothe.”
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>a-la' (heniach, "to cause to rest," "soothe": "Gentleness allayeth (lit., "pacifieth") great offenses" (Ec 10:4)): The word is applied to what "excites, disturbs and makes uneasy" (Smith, Synonyms Discriminated, 106).</p>