soft-pedal

soft-pedal verb the major candidates wish to soft-pedal the immigration issue: play down, make light of, make little /nothing of, set little /no store by, gloss over, de-emphasize, underemphasize, downplay, understate, underplay, minimize, shrug off. ANTONYMS emphasize, exaggerate.

soft-pedal

soft-pedal verb they soft-pedal the news because they worry she ’ll take it personally: play down, make light of, make little /nothing of, set little /no store by, gloss over, de-emphasize, underemphasize, downplay, understate, underplay, minimize, shrug off. ANTONYMS emphasize; exaggerate.

soft-pedal

s ò ft-p é dal (!｟くだけて ｠) 動詞 他動詞 1 〈調子 唐突さなど 〉を和らげる ; 〈行動など 〉を控えめに行う .2 〈ピアノ 〉の弱音ペダルを踏んで音を弱める .名詞 U 柔らかさ ; 穏やかさ .