soft-soap

soft–soap

verb

Definition of SOFT-SOAP

1

to get (someone) to do something by gentle urging, special attention, or flattery <she cunningly soft-soaped her parents into letting her go on the trip>

Synonyms blandish, blarney, cajole, palaver, soft-soap, sweet-talk, wheedle

Related Words adulate, flatter, overpraise; butter up, charm, massage, woo; beg, beseech, importune, urge; beguile, cozen, finagle, juggle, wangle, wile; entice, lure, seduce, tempt

Near Antonyms bug, harass, nag, pester, tease; browbeat, bulldoze, bully, cow, intimidate; coerce, compel, constrain, demand, force, make, oblige, require

2

to praise too much <shrewd voters who know when a politician is trying to soft-soap them>

Synonyms adulate, belaud, blarney, butter up, hero-worship, honey, massage, overpraise, puff, soft-soap, stroke

Related Words blandish, cajole, coax, sweet-talk, wheedle; fawn, kowtow, suck (up to), toady; idolize, worship; eulogize, extol (also extoll), laud, praise; applaud, commend, compliment; congratulate, felicitate; drool, gush, slaver, slobber; endear, ingratiate; court, romance, woo

Near Antonyms bad-mouth, belittle, decry, depreciate, disparage, put down