to soften up an effect

См. также в других словарях:

• soften 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

• soften 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

• soften 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

• soften — [[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

• soften — 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

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

• soften */ — 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

• soften — 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

• soften — 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

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

• Hanwell Asylum — The (1st Middlesex) County Asylum at Hanwell, also known as Hanwell Insane Asylum, was built for the pauper insane and has evolved to become the West London Mental Health (NHS) Trust (WLMHT). The 2nd Middlesex was Colney Hatch Asylum, opened in… …   Wikipedia