Soften Up

Pronunciation: /sɔftən ʌp/

Definitions of soften up

verb to make something softer or more gentle

Example Sentences

A1 I need to soften up the butter before I can spread it on the toast.

A2 She tried to soften up her boss by bringing him coffee every morning.

B1 The company decided to soften up their stance on remote work after receiving feedback from employees.

B2 The politician attempted to soften up the voters by sharing personal stories during the campaign.

C1 The negotiator knew he had to soften up the other party before discussing the terms of the agreement.

C2 In order to reach a compromise, both sides had to soften up their demands and be more flexible.

adverb softly or gently

Example Sentences

A1 She tried to soften up her parents by doing extra chores around the house.

A2 The manager decided to soften up the strict rules to make the workplace more relaxed.

B1 The teacher tried to soften up the students by telling jokes and playing games in class.

B2 The company CEO softened up his stance on remote work after seeing the positive impact it had on productivity.

C1 The government's decision to soften up the immigration laws was met with mixed reactions from the public.

C2 The negotiator successfully softened up the opposing party by offering concessions and compromises.

Examples of soften up in a Sentence

formal The company is looking to soften up their image with a new advertising campaign.

informal I told him to soften up a bit and be more approachable.

slang She needs to soften up and stop being so uptight.

figurative The warm sun helped to soften up the hard clay soil in the garden.

Grammatical Forms of soften up

• past tense: softened up
• plural: soften up
• comparative: softer up
• superlative: softest up
• present tense: soften up
• future tense: will soften up
• perfect tense: have softened up
• continuous tense: is softening up
• singular: soften up
• positive degree: soften up
• infinitive: to soften up
• gerund: softening up
• participle: softened up

Origin and Evolution of soften up

First Known Use: 1601 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The phrase 'soften up' likely originated from the combination of the word 'soften' meaning to make or become soft, and the particle 'up' indicating completion or intensification.

Evolution of the word: Originally used in a literal sense to describe the act of making something physically softer, the phrase 'soften up' has evolved to also mean to make someone or something less resistant or hostile through persuasion or coercion.