lēnio, īvi or ii, ītum, 4 (imperf. lenibant, Verg. A. 4, 528: lenibat, id. ib. 6, 468; fut. lenibunt, Prop. 3, 20 (4, 21), 32), v. a. and n. 1. lenis. Act., to make soft or mild, to soften, mollify, alleviate, mitigate, assuage, soothe, calm (syn.: mitigo, placo, sedo, mulceo). Lit.: lapsana alvum lenit et mollit, Plin. 20, 9, 37, § 96: nuces leniunt saporem caeparum, id. 23, 8, 77, § 147: tumores, id. 33, 6, 35, § 110: collectiones impetusque, id. 22, 25, 58, § 122: stomachum latrantem, Hor. S. 2, 2, 18: volnera, to assuage, heal, Prop. 3, 20 (4, 21), 32: clamorem, to soften, moderate, Hor. C. 1, 27, 7: inopiam frumenti lenire, to make amends for, cause to be less felt, Sall. J. 91.

— Trop., to render mild, to appease, calm, pacify, etc.: senem illum tibi dedo ulteriorem, ut lenitum reddas, Plaut. Bacch. 5, 2, 31: illum saepe lenivi iratum, Cic. Att. 6, 2, 2: temperantia animos placat ac lenit, id. Fin. 1, 14, 47: te ipsum dies leniet, aetas mitigabit, id. Mur. 31, 65: epulis multitudinem imperitam, id. Phil. 2, 45, 116: desiderium crebris epistolis, id. Fam. 15, 21, 1: se multa consolatione, id. Q. Fr. 3, 5, 4: diem tempusque ... leniturum iras, Liv. 2, 45: seditionem, id. 6, 16: animum ferocem, Sall. J. 11: saepius fatigatus lenitur, id. ib. 111, 3: lenire dolentem Solando, Verg. A. 4, 393.

—* Neutr., to become soft or mild, to be softened, mitigated: dum irae leniunt, Plaut. Mil. 2, 6, 100; cf. Brix ad loc.