Synonyms of soft-soaping

soft-soaping

verb

present participle of soft-soap

1

as in coaxing

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 & Similar Words

• coaxing
• blandishing
• cajoling
• luring
• seducing
• wheedling
• urging
• enticing
• wooing
• begging
• sweet-talking
• blarneying
• massaging
• charming
• buttering up
• palavering
• tempting
• flattering
• beseeching
• importuning
• juggling
• overpraising
• wangling
• adulating
• cozening
• wiling
• beguiling
• finagling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• teasing
• harassing
• pestering
• bugging
• nagging
• intimidating
• bullying
• forcing
• making
• requiring
• demanding
• compelling
• obliging
• bulldozing
• constraining
• coercing
• cowing
• browbeating

2

as in massaging

to praise too much

shrewd voters who know when a politician is trying to soft-soap them

Synonyms & Similar Words

• massaging
• praising
• stroking
• commending
• congratulating
• applauding
• honeying
• buttering up
• belauding
• hero-worshiping
• flattering
• puffing
• sucking (up to)
• overpraising
• coaxing
• worshiping
• blandishing
• blarneying
• hero-worshipping
• adulating
• wooing
• cajoling
• fawning
• wheedling
• complimenting
• kowtowing
• toadying
• extolling
• eulogizing
• idolizing
• felicitating
• sweet-talking
• endearing
• worshipping
• ingratiating
• romancing
• lauding
• slavering
• courting
• gushing
• slobbering
• drooling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• putting down
• disparaging
• depreciating
• belittling
• decrying
• bad-mouthing