Soften up
verb (adverb)
1.
to make or become soft
2.
(transitive) to weaken (an enemy’s defences) by shelling, bombing, etc
3.
(transitive) to weaken the resistance of (a person) by persuasive talk, advances, etc
Reduce resistance, as in His sales motto was: a fine lunch and a few drinks often will soften up a prospective customer. This expression transfers lessening of physical hardness to lessening mental resistance. It was first used, however, in World War II, where it meant “reduce the enemy’s defenses by preliminary bombing.” [ c. 1940 ]
Read Also:
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- Soft-focus
noun, Photography. 1. an image, often created by a special lens, that is recognizable but somewhat blurred or diffused.
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noun 1. (photog) a lens designed to produce an image that is uniformly very slightly out of focus: typically used for portrait work
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plural noun 1. (Brit) curtains, hangings, rugs, etc
- Soft g
noun the consonant ‘g’ as it is pronounced in ‘gem’ and ‘giraffe’ Examples A soft g is pronounced as a fricative or affricate.