# assuage public concerns



## kansi

It means "make it less strongly", a dictionary says.
so we could just say "to make less strongly".
But why does one really want or have to say assuage? Does it have any specific nuance that isn't on a dictionary or "make less strongly"?

The CEO attempted to *assuage* public concerns about flying amid the global outbreak — insisting that getting on a plane is “as safe as everything else you do in your daily life.”


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## JulianStuart

kansi said:


> It means "make it less strongly", a dictionary says.
> *so** So *we could just say "to make less strongly".
> But why does one really want or have to say the "assuage?Does it have any specific nuance that isn't  *on** in* a dictionary?
> 
> The CEO attempted to *assuage* public concerns about flying amid the global outbreak — insisting that getting on a plane is “as safe as everything else you do in your daily life.”





> *as•suage*  (ə swāj*′*, ə swāzh*′*), v.t.,
> 
> *to make milder* or less severe; *relieve; ease*; mitigate:to assuage one's grief; to assuage one's pain.
> to appease; satisfy; allay; relieve:to assuage one's hunger.
> to soothe, calm, or mollify:to assuage his fears; to assuage her anger.


There are many meanings in the dictionary for assuage.  The writer has used it with the meaning in definition #1


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## kansi

JulianStuart said:


> There are many meanings in the dictionary for assuage.  The writer has used it with the meaning in definition #1


Thank you.

Can I say this sentence instead of using "assuage"?:

The CEO attempted to *make milder* public concerns about flying amid the global outbreak


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## JulianStuart

A better subsitute for assuage would be "ease"


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## kansi

JulianStuart said:


> A better subsitute for assuage would be "ease"


I see.
What's wrong with "make milder"?Does it sound informal in this context which is a faily formal or professinal context?


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## JulianStuart

kansi said:


> I see.
> What's wrong with "make milder"?Does it sound informal in this context which is a faily formal or professinal context?


It just doesn't fit, idiomatically, in this context of "concerns".  Dictionaries provde a range of meanings in a definition.  This does not mean that each can fit in all contexts!


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## kansi

JulianStuart said:


> It just doesn't fit, idiomatically, in this context of "concerns".  Dictionaries provde a range of meanings in a definition.  This does not mean that each can fit in all contexts!


It's like concerns don't get milder?


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## JulianStuart

kansi said:


> It's like concerns don't get milder?


I did not say that.  As I said, you should not try to force every word in a dictionary definition into a sentence as a substitute for the word entry. The result of the action may be that there is only mild concern, but that does not mean "make milder" fits in the sentence in place of "assuage". That is not how it works. I frequently get confused when I look up a word/kanji in a Japanese -English dictionary and find many, many "definitions" but that only one or two meanings fit in the sentence where I found the word. Same in English.


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## kansi

JulianStuart said:


> I did not say that.


Are you saying "this specific" concerns don't get milder?


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## JulianStuart

kansi said:


> Are you saying "this specific" concerns don't get milder?


I added to my post while you posted that.


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## bennymix

Def 3 is the best fit.   The exec is *not* trying to make something milder, but to smooth it out, even eliminate it.

to soothe, calm, or mollify:to assuage his fears; to assuage her anger.


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## kansi

JulianStuart said:


> I frequently get confused when I look up a word/kanji in a Japanese -English dictionary and find many, many "definitions" but that only one or two meanings fit in the sentence where I found the word. Same in English.


I did understand this.

However I still can't understand why get milder doesn't go well with the word"concerns". You aren't saying "get milder" doesn't go well with "concerns (in general)"?


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## JulianStuart

kansi said:


> I did understand this.
> 
> However I still can't understand why get milder doesn't go well with the word"concerns". You aren't saying "get milder" doesn't go well with "concerns (in general)"?


_*If*_ you do understand the issue with deciding which word is appropriate (_and the others are not_) for a particular kanji when looking at English definitions, the same applies to English words and definitions.
It's not just the "intrinsic meaning" that determines applicability in a sentence. Are you familiar with the concept of "collocation"?  It's one aspect of what makes phrases and expressions "idiomatic".  It simply does not fit in the sentence the way you tried to use it.    I can say "I am only mildly concerned about the drop in my son's performance in History class".  This puts the concepts of mild and concern together, but there is no way a native speaker would say "I need to make my concern milder" or "My concerns _got milder_ when I received his report card this week".


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## JulianStuart

kansi said:


> What's wrong with "make milder"?


Perhaps it's how you view (or were taught) the concept of dictionary definitions 
What's right with it?  If word X has a set of words or phrases (A, B C, D, E and F, for example) in its definition, it does *not* mean that you can replace X with _any_ of those in _all_ cases where the word X was used in a sentence. Some you may be able to, others are there to explain the meaning better but are not intended as substitutes for every instance of X.  That's partly why this site was created, so learners like you could find out the nuances and idioms: a dictionary cannot contain them all.


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## JulianStuart

bennymix said:


> Def 3 is the best fit.   The exec is *not* trying to make something milder, but to smooth it out, even eliminate it.
> 
> to soothe, calm, or mollify:to assuage his fears; to assuage her anger.


1 and 3 overlap - relieve and ease also are part of what the exec is trying to do


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## kansi

JulianStuart said:


> What's right with it? If word X has a set of words or phrases (A, B C, D, E and F, for example) in its definition, it does *not* mean that you can replace X with _any_ of those in _all_ cases where the word X was used in a sentence. Some you may be able to, others are there to explain the meaning better but are not intended as substitutes for every instance of X.


I do have understood this but I think I need to more understand this aspect.

"mild/mildly" doesn't *always* go well with "concerns".
"get milder" doesn't go well with "concerns" (both as a verb and as a noun) like "My concerns _got milder_ when I received his report card this week" doesn't make sense. But "mildly" does go well with "concern(as a verb)" like I am mildly concerned with the drop.

I guess "I have/'ve got a mild concern abont my son's grade" is also another example that mild doesn't go well with concerns?


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## JulianStuart

I'm sorry, you have lost me. I don't really understand this post.


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## Myridon

kansi said:


> But "mildly" does go well with "concern(as a verb)" like I am mildly concerned with the drop.


In this sentence, "concerned" is a past participle used as an adjective.


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## Roxxxannne

"The CEO attempted to *make milder* public concerns about flying amid the global outbreak" sounds as though 'make' is a synonym for 'construct': He's trying to construct (where there were none?) some milder public concerns.  "People, I know you have some serious public concerns.  Forget them.  Here is a milder public concern to divert your attention: what if there are scorpions in the overhead compartment?"

Actually, he presumably is trying to address some already-existing public concerns and make them milder.  "People, I know you have serious concerns about flying.  I hope this information I'm about to give you makes you feel less worried."


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## kansi

Roxxxannne said:


> sounds as though 'make' is a synonym for 'construct': He's trying to construct (where there were none?) some milder public concerns.


Ah I see. I used "make milder" in the way to mean to ease the concerns but it sounds as if to construct another milder concern.



Roxxxannne said:


> make them milder.


Doesn't make concerns milder sound odd, does it?


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## kansi

Myridon said:


> In this sentence, "concerned" is a past participle used as an adjective.


I see. "Mildly concerned" is fine but "make concerns milder/mild" doesn't go well,right?


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## JulianStuart

kansi said:


> I see. "Mildly concerned" is fine but "make concerns milder/mild" doesn't go well,right?


 Very good! This is not a grammar issue but a matter of _idiomatic_ usage, as I have been trying to explain   That is exactly the knid of aspect that dictionaries do poorly, and asking a native speaker to say what is idiomatic is a major function of this forum.


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## Roxxxannne

kansi said:


> I see. "Mildly concerned" is fine but "make concerns milder/mild" doesn't go well,right?


I agree.  Both 'make milder concerns' and 'make concerns milder/mild" both sound odd to me.  That's why I would  use 'ease' or 'relieve' (comment #15); a one-word verbal expression in this case is less cumbersome to me than a verb and a comparative adjective.  As JulianStuart says, it's a matter of idiomatic usage (comment #22).


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## kansi

JulianStuart said:


> Very good! This is not a grammar issue but a matter of _idiomatic_ usage, as I have been trying to explain   That is exactly the knid of aspect that dictionaries do poorly, and asking a native speaker to say what is idiomatic is a major function of this forum.


I had understand but I was bad at explaining it like my last post to you.

Well does this sound normal?
●I have a mild concern ( = a little amount of concern) about my son's grade in school.


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## JulianStuart

kansi said:


> I had understand but I was bad at explaining it like my last post to you.
> 
> Well does this sound normal?
> ●I have a mild concern ( = a little amount of concern) about my son's grade in school.


Yes.  That is a normal use of mild to describe a concern.  Other words could be used - slight, small etc.


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## kansi

JulianStuart said:


> Yes.  That is a normal use of mild to describe a concern.  Other words could be used - slight, small etc.


It's fairly interesting to see that "make concerns mild", "have a mild concern" and "mildly concerned" all look very similar but in fact "make concerns mild" doesn't go well while the others are fine.


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## Roxxxannne

In 'have a mild concern' and 'mildly concerned,' the modifiers (the adjective 'mild' and the adverb 'mildly') precede the noun (concern) and the verb (concerned) that they modify.  This is standard English. 

 In 'make concerns mild' the adjective follows the noun it modifies, which is extremely atypical in ordinary English. So it looks strange,


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## bennymix

I think, to put it mildly, we've covered the ground.     Good stuff!


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## kansi

Roxxxannne said:


> In 'have a mild concern' and 'mildly concerned,' the modifiers (the adjective 'mild' and the adverb 'mildly') precede the noun (concern) and the verb (concerned) that they modify.  This is standard English.
> 
> In 'make concerns mild' the adjective follows the noun it modifies, which is extremely atypical in ordinary English. So it looks strange,


well in "make concerns mild" , I've tried to use in such ways as "I made my daughter cry", "you are making me angry" or "This is making me crazy.".


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## bennymix

If you want _made_.  I tell the dr.  "You have made all my concerns go away."  Better:  "You have erased all my concerns."


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## kansi

bennymix said:


> If you want _made_.  I tell the dr.  "You have made all my concerns go away."  Better:  "You have erased all my concerns."


What about when the amount of my concerns don't all go away but some of them go away?


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## bennymix

You have made some of my concerns go away.       OR   You have eliminated some of my concerns.


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## kansi

bennymix said:


> You have made some of my concerns go away.


I see! But saying "You have made some of my concerns mild." is not good at all because of collocation.


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## bennymix

Right.  I agree with other, above.    You can say,  "Rising temperatures made the winter mild," though, if you like!


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## kansi

bennymix said:


> Right.  I agree with other, above.    You can say,  "Rising temperatures made the winter mild," though, if you like!


Tastes go along well with "make( )mild" too, right?
e.g Adding a little sugar in this process makes this meal milder.


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## JulianStuart

kansi said:


> Tastes go along well with "make( )mild" too, right?
> e.g Adding a little sugar in this process makes this meal milder.


Not really.  Mild, when describing food is most often referring to lack of high levels of peppery heat: a mild curry is one that won;t make your eyes water; a mild chili does not have a lot a spicy heat.  Adding suger doesn't usually make a "meal milder".


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## kansi

JulianStuart said:


> Not really.  Mild, when describing food is most often referring to lack of high levels of peppery heat: a mild curry is one that won;t make your eyes water; a mild chili does not have a lot a spicy heat.  Adding suger doesn't usually make a "meal milder".


okay, I don't know the fact that suger doesn't make meals mild.So let's say,
Adding this ingredient(*whatever it is to make meals mild) makes this curry a bit mider.

This is good for collocation?


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## bennymix

You can say, "If you want to make this food milder, DON'T put curry powder in it!"


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## JulianStuart

kansi said:


> *okay,* *OkayI* don't know the fact that suger doesn't make meals mild.So let's say,
> Adding this ingredient(*whatever it is to make meals mild) makes this curry a bit mider.
> 
> This is good for collocation?


 You would normally say "Add less curry powder to make a milder curry. Once you've added the curry powder it's hard to make it milder!!!


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## kansi

bennymix said:


> You can say, "If you want to make this food milder, DON'T put curry powder in it!"


Thank you!


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## kansi

JulianStuart said:


> You would normally say "Add less curry powder to make a milder curry. Once you've added the curry powder it's hard to make it milder!!!


I see.Thank you!Now I knew this collocation and also how to make a mild curry.haha


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