Here’s a word generally used in a literary sense but not usually in casual conversation.

propitiate (pro·pi·ti·ate): / pruh PISH ee ayt /
transitive verb

(1) to appease or conciliate; to win favor (formal)

[From Latin propitiare meaning “to make favorable,” from Latin propitius meaning “favorable.”]

Usage: How much death and destruction throughout history has been forged from a desire to propitiate imaginary gods?