soft soaps
Butters someone up
Soft soap is a liquid or semi-liquid soap, as opposed to bar soap.
The figurative meaning dominates: to soft-soap someone is to flatter or cajole them, using smooth talk to win favor or get what you want.
He soft-soaped the committee into approving his proposal.
The noun soft soap refers to such flattery: Don't give me that soft soap.
- caressesTouches gently with love
- cajoleryFlattery meant to persuade
- coaxingPersuading through gentle persistence
- flatteryExcessive insincere praise
- laying it on thickExaggerating to excess
compliments · ego stroking · coddling · blandishments · obsequiousness · smooth talk · charm offensive · fawning · saponification · sycophancy · buttering up · kissing up · ingratiation · honeyed words · silver tongue · cleansing agents · glycerin · persuasion
soft soapsharsh criticism
Severe negative judgment
harsh words · brutal honesty · tells off · tongue-lashing · dresses down
soft soapsstrong-arms
Coerces using force
browbeats · bulldozes · coerces · intimidates · pressures
soft, soap, softer, softest, softly, soften, softens, softened, softening