soft pedal

SEE SYNONYMS FOR soft pedal ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Also called una corda pedal . a pedal, as on a piano, for reducing tonal volume.

Informal. something that restrains or dampens: to put a soft pedal on one's enthusiasm.

Origin of soft pedal

First recorded in 1920–25

Words nearby soft pedal

softness, soft on, soft option, soft palate, soft paste, soft pedal, soft porn, soft pornography, soft power, soft rays, soft release

Definition for soft pedal (2 of 2)

soft-pedal

[ sawft-ped-l, soft- ]

/ ˌsɔftˈpɛd l, ˌsɒft- /

verb (used without object), soft-ped·aled, soft-ped·al·ing or (especially British) soft-ped·alled, soft-ped·al·ling.

to use the soft pedal.

verb (used with object), soft-ped·aled, soft-ped·al·ing or (especially British) soft-ped·alled, soft-ped·al·ling.

to soften the sound of by using the soft pedal.

Informal. to tone or play down; make less strong, as an idea or fact: The dean soft-pedaled the reports of cheating.

Origin of soft-pedal

First recorded in 1915–20; v. use of noun phrase soft pedal

Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for soft pedal

And when the AHA is reintroduced in parliament, as it inevitably will be, he can soft-pedal.
The Uganda Ruling is Good For Everyone But Gays|Jay Michaelson|August 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It would do nothing about climate change and would embrace but soft-pedal and rebrand social conservatism.
Inter-Galactic Reform Conservatism|Michael Tomasky|May 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Even when the crowd turned loud and nasty on certain foreign-policy points, Paul refused to soft-pedal his anti-interventionism.
Rick Perry Unleashes His Inner Cowboy in Fox News Debate|Michelle Cottle|January 17, 2012|DAILY BEAST
There had been rumors of trouble back on Earth, persistent rumors he had taken care to soft-pedal, as mayor of the colony.
Image of the Gods|Alan Edward Nourse

British Dictionary definitions for soft pedal

soft-pedal

verb -als, -alling or -alled or US -als, -aling or -aled (tr)

to mute the tone of (a piano) by depressing the soft pedal

informal to make (something, esp something unpleasant) less obvious by deliberately failing to emphasize or allude to it

noun soft pedal

a foot-operated lever on a piano, the left one of two, that either moves the whole action closer to the strings so that the hammers strike with less force or causes fewer of the strings to soundCompare sustaining pedal, piano 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with soft pedal

soft pedal

Something that de-emphasizes, restrains, or plays down, as in The mayor put a soft pedal on this potentially explosive situation. This expression alludes to the una corda or soft pedal of the piano, which reduces the volume of the sound. It gave rise to the verb soft-pedal, meaning both “reduce the volume of” or “make less emphatic, downplay.” [Early 1900s]

单词	soft pedal
释义	soft pedal SEE SYNONYMS FOR soft pedal ON THESAURUS.COM noun Also called una corda pedal . a pedal, as on a piano, for reducing tonal volume. Informal. something that restrains or dampens: to put a soft pedal on one's enthusiasm. Origin of soft pedal First recorded in 1920–25 Words nearby soft pedal softness, soft on, soft option, soft palate, soft paste, soft pedal, soft porn, soft pornography, soft power, soft rays, soft release Definition for soft pedal (2 of 2) soft-pedal [ sawft-ped-l, soft- ] / ˌsɔftˈpɛd l, ˌsɒft- / verb (used without object), soft-ped·aled, soft-ped·al·ing or (especially British) soft-ped·alled, soft-ped·al·ling. to use the soft pedal. verb (used with object), soft-ped·aled, soft-ped·al·ing or (especially British) soft-ped·alled, soft-ped·al·ling. to soften the sound of by using the soft pedal. Informal. to tone or play down; make less strong, as an idea or fact: The dean soft-pedaled the reports of cheating. Origin of soft-pedal First recorded in 1915–20; v. use of noun phrase soft pedal Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020 Example sentences from the Web for soft pedal And when the AHA is reintroduced in parliament, as it inevitably will be, he can soft-pedal. The Uganda Ruling is Good For Everyone But Gays\|Jay Michaelson\|August 1, 2014\|DAILY BEAST It would do nothing about climate change and would embrace but soft-pedal and rebrand social conservatism. Inter-Galactic Reform Conservatism\|Michael Tomasky\|May 31, 2013\|DAILY BEAST Even when the crowd turned loud and nasty on certain foreign-policy points, Paul refused to soft-pedal his anti-interventionism. Rick Perry Unleashes His Inner Cowboy in Fox News Debate\|Michelle Cottle\|January 17, 2012\|DAILY BEAST There had been rumors of trouble back on Earth, persistent rumors he had taken care to soft-pedal, as mayor of the colony. Image of the Gods\|Alan Edward Nourse British Dictionary definitions for soft pedal soft-pedal verb -als, -alling or -alled or US -als, -aling or -aled (tr) to mute the tone of (a piano) by depressing the soft pedal informal to make (something, esp something unpleasant) less obvious by deliberately failing to emphasize or allude to it noun soft pedal a foot-operated lever on a piano, the left one of two, that either moves the whole action closer to the strings so that the hammers strike with less force or causes fewer of the strings to soundCompare sustaining pedal, piano 1 Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Idioms and Phrases with soft pedal soft pedal Something that de-emphasizes, restrains, or plays down, as in The mayor put a soft pedal on this potentially explosive situation. This expression alludes to the una corda or soft pedal of the piano, which reduces the volume of the sound. It gave rise to the verb soft-pedal, meaning both “reduce the volume of” or “make less emphatic, downplay.” [Early 1900s] The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Words related to soft pedal damper, muffler, silencer, sordino, sourdine
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soft pedal

noun

Origin of soft pedal

Words nearby soft pedal

Definition for soft pedal (2 of 2)

verb (used without object), soft-ped·aled, soft-ped·al·ing or (especially British) soft-ped·alled, soft-ped·al·ling.

verb (used with object), soft-ped·aled, soft-ped·al·ing or (especially British) soft-ped·alled, soft-ped·al·ling.

Origin of soft-pedal

Example sentences from the Web for soft pedal

British Dictionary definitions for soft pedal

verb -als, -alling or -alled or US -als, -aling or -aled (tr)

noun soft pedal

Idioms and Phrases with soft pedal

Words related to soft pedal