Dulcify
Verb
- Sweeten.
- Calm or soothe.
Example Sentences
“The vendor at the farmers market uses honey to dulcify his lemonade.”
“She dulcified the crying baby by singing him a lullaby.”
“I’m out of white sugar, but I’ll dulcify the pie with brown sugar.”
Word Origin
Latin, late 16th century
Why this word?
This verb comes from the Latin words “dulcinficare” (“to sweeten”) and “dulcis” (“sweet”). The same root is used to indicate sweetness of all kinds — from dulcet tones to dulce de leche. To “dulcify” something implies sweetening its taste, but used in context with a person, the word describes soothing or calming them down. You can dulcify an upset friend, but you can also dulcify the coffee you drink while chatting with them.