Adjacent Words

Satisfy definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SAT'ISFY, v.t. [L. satisfacio; satis, enough, and facio, to make.]
1. To gratify wants, wishes or desires to the full extent; to supply possession or enjoyment till no more is desired. The demands of hunger may be easily satisfied; but who can satisfy the passion for money or honor?
2. To supply fully what is necessary and demanded by natural laws; as, to satisfy with rain the desolate and waste ground. Job 38.
3. To pay to content; to recompense or indemnify to the full extent of claims; as, to satisfy demands.
He is well paid, that is, well satisfied.
4. To appease by punishment; as, to satisfy rigor.
5. To free from doubt, suspense or uncertainty; to cause the mind to rest in confidence by ascertaining the truth; as, to satisfy one's self by inquiry.
6. To convince. A jury must be satisfied of the guilt of a man, before they can justly condemn him.
The standing evidences of the truth of the gospel are in themselves most firm, solid and satisfying.
7. To pay; to discharge; as, to satisfy an execution.
Debts due to the United States are to be first satisfied.
SAT'ISFY, v.i.
1. To give content. Earthly good never satisfies.
2. To feed or supply to the full.
3. To make payment. [But the intransitive use of this verb is generally elliptical.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: meet the requirements or expectations of [syn: satisfy, fulfill, fulfil, live up to] [ant: fall short of]
2: make happy or satisfied [syn: satisfy, gratify] [ant: dissatisfy]
3: fill or meet a want or need [syn: meet, satisfy, fill, fulfill, fulfil]

Merriam Webster's

verb (-fied; -fying) Etymology: Middle English satisfien, from Anglo-French satisfier, modification of Latin satisfacere, from satis enough + facere to do, make — more at sad, do Date: 15th century transitive verb 1. a. to carry out the terms of (as a contract) ; discharge b. to meet a financial obligation to 2. to make reparation to (an injured party) ; indemnify 3. a. to make happy ; please b. to gratify to the full ; appease 4. a. convince b. to put an end to (doubt or uncertainty) ; dispel 5. a. to conform to (as specifications) ; be adequate to (an end in view) b. to make true by fulfilling a condition <values that satisfy an equation> <satisfy a hypothesis> intransitive verb to be adequate ; suffice; also please Synonyms: see pay • satisfyingly adverb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. (-ies, -ied) 1 tr. a meet the expectations or desires of; comply with (a demand). b be accepted by (a person, his taste) as adequate; be equal to (a preconception etc.). 2 tr. put an end to (an appetite or want) by supplying what was required. 3 tr. rid (a person) of an appetite or want in a similar way. 4 intr. give satisfaction; leave nothing to be desired. 5 tr. pay (a debt or creditor). 6 tr. adequately meet, fulfil, or comply with (conditions, obligations, etc.) (has satisfied all the legal conditions). 7 tr. (often foll. by of, that) provide with adequate information or proof, convince (satisfied the others that they were right; satisfy the court of their innocence). 8 tr. Math. (of a quantity) make (an equation) true. 9 tr. (in passive) a (foll. by with) contented or pleased with. b (foll. by to) demand no more than or consider it enough to do. Phrases and idioms: satisfy the examiners reach the standard required to pass an examination. satisfy oneself (often foll. by that + clause) be certain in one's own mind. Derivatives: satisfiable adj. satisfiability n. satisfiedly adv. satisfying adj. satisfyingly adv. Etymology: ME f. OF satisfier f. L satisfacere satisfact- f. satis enough

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Satisfy Sat"is*fy, v. i. 1. To give satisfaction; to afford gratification; to leave nothing to be desired. 2. To make payment or atonement; to atone. --Milton.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Satisfy Sat"is*fy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Satisfied; p. pr. & vb. n. Satisfying.] [OF. satisfier; L. satis enough + -ficare (in comp.) to make; cf. F. satisfaire, L. satisfacere. See Sad, a., and Fact.] 1. In general, to fill up the measure of a want of (a person or a thing); hence, to grafity fully the desire of; to make content; to supply to the full, or so far as to give contentment with what is wished for. Death shall . . . with us two Be forced to satisfy his ravenous maw. --Milton. 2. To pay to the extent of claims or deserts; to give what is due to; as, to satisfy a creditor. 3. To answer or discharge, as a claim, debt, legal demand, or the like; to give compensation for; to pay off; to requite; as, to satisfy a claim or an execution. 4. To free from doubt, suspense, or uncertainty; to give assurance to; to set at rest the mind of; to convince; as, to satisfy one's self by inquiry. The standing evidences of the truth of the gospel are in themselves most firm, solid, and satisfying. --Atterbury. Syn: To satiate; sate; content; grafity; compensate. See Satiate.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(satisfies, satisfying, satisfied) 1. If someone or something satisfies you, they give you enough of what you want or need to make you pleased or contented. The pace of change has not been quick enough to satisfy everyone... We just can't find enough good second-hand cars to satisfy demand... VERB: V n, V n 2. To satisfy someone that something is true or has been done properly means to convince them by giving them more information or by showing them what has been done. He has to satisfy the environmental lobby that real progress will be made to cut emissions... = convince VERB: V n that 3. If you satisfy the requirements for something, you are good enough or have the right qualities to fulfil these requirements. The procedures should satisfy certain basic requirements. VERB: V n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Please, gratify, content, satiate, sate, fill, suffice. 2. Recompense, requite, indemnify, pay, liquidate, compensate, remunerate. 3. Pay, discharge, settle. 4. Convince, persuade, assure. 5. Fulfil, answer. II. v. n. 1. Give satisfaction. 2. Atone, make payment. 3. Feed full, supply to the full.

Moby Thesaurus

abide by, achieve inner harmony, act up to, adhere to, allay, amortize, answer, appease, ascertain, assuage, assure, atone, atone for, attend to, avail, be convincing, be equal to, be faithful to, bear, board, bread, bring home to, bring over, bring round, bring to reason, carry conviction, cater to, certify, cinch, clear, clear off, clear up, clinch, cloy, coddle, comfort, compensate, comply with, conform to, content, convert, convict, convince, cosset, cram, decide, determine, dine, discharge, dismiss all doubt, do, do it, do justice to, drive home to, engorge, ensure, establish, expiate, favor, feast, fee, feed, fill, fill the bill, fill up, find out, fix, fodder, follow, forage, fulfill, get at, get by, give satisfaction, give way to, gladden, glut, go around, gorge, grass, gratify, graze, guerdon, hack it, heed, hold, hold by, honor, humor, indemnify, induce, indulge, inspire belief, insure, inveigle, jade, just do, keep, keep faith with, lead to believe, lift, liquidate, live down, live up to, look after, look to, make accounts square, make amends, make certain, make compensation, make good, make matters up, make no doubt, make no mistake, make reparation, make right, make sure, make sure of, make the grade, make up for, meat, meet, meet requirements, mess, mollycoddle, nail down, oblige, observe, overdose, overfeed, overfill, overgorge, oversaturate, overstuff, pacify, pall, pamper, pass, pass muster, pasture, pay, pay by installments, pay in full, pay off, pay on, pay the bill, pay the forfeit, pay the penalty, pay the shot, pay up, persuade, placate, please, prepay, propitiate, provide for, provision, put at ease, qualify, quench, quit, reach, reassure, recompense, redeem, redress, regale, regard, remit, remove all doubt, remunerate, render, repair, repay, resolve, respect, retire, reward, salary, sate, satiate, saturate, see that, see to it, sell, sell one on, serve, serve the purpose, set at ease, set at rest, settle, slake, solve, sort out, spoil, square, square accounts, square it, square things, stand, stand up, stretch, strike a balance, stuff, suffice, supersaturate, surfeit, sustain, take it, take up, talk over, tender, win over, wine and dine, work, write off, yield to