soft-pedal
11soft-pedal — UK / US verb [transitive] Word forms soft pedal : present tense I/you/we/they soft pedal he/she/it soft pedals present participle soft pedalling past tense soft pedalled past participle soft pedalled to make something seem less important or less… …
12soft pedal — UK / US noun [countable] Word forms soft pedal : singular soft pedal plural soft pedals a pedal on a piano that the player presses with their foot to make the sound softer …
13soft-pedal — transitive verb Date: 1925 1. play down, de emphasize < soft pedal the issue > 2. to use the soft pedal in playing …
14soft pedal — 1. Also called una corda pedal. a pedal, as on a piano, for reducing tonal volume. 2. Informal. something that restrains or dampens: to put a soft pedal on one s enthusiasm. [1920 25] * * * …
15soft pedal — v. play down, minimize, reduce importance, make less important; use the soft pedal in playing piano to reduce the volume of music n. pedal on a piano that reduces musical tones …
16soft pedal — noun a pedal on a piano that can be pressed to soften the tone. verb (soft pedal) play down the unpleasant aspects of …
17soft pedal — say it is not important, downplay The government is trying to soft pedal their failures …
18soft pedal — soft′ ped′al n. 1) mad a pedal, as on a piano, for reducing tonal volume 2) inf something that restrains or dampens Etymology: 1915–20 …
19soft pedal something — tv. to play something down; to de emphasize something. (Refers to the soft pedal on the piano.) □ Try to soft pedal the problems we have with the cooling system. □ I won’t soft pedal anything. Everyone must know the truth …
20soft pedal — noun a pedal on a piano that moves the action closer to the strings and so soften the sound • Hypernyms: ↑pedal, ↑treadle, ↑foot pedal, ↑foot lever • Part Holonyms: ↑piano, ↑pianoforte, ↑forte piano …
