to soften up an effect

  • 1soften the effect — soften the blow/impact/effect/ phrase to make something unpleasant seem less severe He tried to soften the blow by telling her himself. Thesaurus: to reduce, or to remove the bad effects of somethingsynonym Main entry …

    Useful english dictionary

  • 2soften the blow — soften the blow/impact/effect/ phrase to make something unpleasant seem less severe He tried to soften the blow by telling her himself. Thesaurus: to reduce, or to remove the bad effects of somethingsynonym Main entry …

    Useful english dictionary

  • 3soften the impact — soften the blow/impact/effect/ phrase to make something unpleasant seem less severe He tried to soften the blow by telling her himself. Thesaurus: to reduce, or to remove the bad effects of somethingsynonym Main entry …

    Useful english dictionary

  • 4soften — [[t]sɒ̱f(ə)n, AM sɔ͟ːf [/t]] softens, softening, softened 1) V ERG If you soften something or if it softens, it becomes less hard, stiff, or firm. [V n] Soften the butter mixture in a small saucepan... Fry for about 4 minutes, until the onion has …

    English dictionary

  • 5soften — soft|en [ˈsɔfən US ˈso: ] v [I and T] 1.) also soften up to become less hard or rough, or make something less hard or rough ≠ ↑harden ▪ Use moisturizer to soften your skin. ▪ Cook until the onion softens. 2.) if your attitude softens, or if… …

    Dictionary of contemporary English

  • 6soften — verb 1 become/make sth softer/gentler ADVERB ▪ considerably, a lot ▪ a bit, a little, slightly, somewhat ▪ His smile softened slightly …

    Collocations dictionary

  • 7soften */ — UK [ˈsɒf(ə)n] / US [ˈsɔf(ə)n] verb Word forms soften : present tense I/you/we/they soften he/she/it softens present participle softening past tense softened past participle softened 1) [intransitive/transitive] to become softer, or to make… …

    English dictionary

  • 8soften — soft|en [ sɔfn ] verb * 1. ) intransitive or transitive to become softer or to make something softer: Simmer gently until the apple has softened. If the mixture is too hard you will need to soften it. 2. ) intransitive or transitive to become… …

    Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • 9soften — verb (I, T) 1 to become softer or make something softer: Choose a good moisturizer to soften and protect your skin | Cook until the onion has softened. 2 if your attitude softens, or if something softens it, it becomes less strict and more… …

    Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • 10effect — {{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}} noun 1 change that is caused by sth ADJECTIVE ▪ decisive, dramatic, far reaching, important, marked, powerful, profound, pronounced, significant …

    Collocations dictionary