soft-soap
[ sawft-sohp, soft- ]
/ ˈsɔftˈsoʊp, ˈsɒft- /
verb (used with object)
Informal.
to cajole; flatter.
to apply soft soap to.
verb (used without object)
to use soft soap in washing.
Origin of soft-soap
First recorded in 1820–30
Words nearby soft-soap
soft-shell,
soft-shell clam,
soft-shell crab,
soft-shelled turtle,
soft-shoe,
soft-soap,
soft-soaper,
soft-spoken,
soft-top,
softa,
softback
Definition for soft-soap (2 of 2)
soft soap
noun
Informal.
persuasive talk; flattery: to use soft soap to get one's way.
the semifluid soap produced when potassium hydroxide is used in the saponification of a fat or an oil.
Origin of soft soap
First recorded in 1625–35
Example sentences from the Web for soft-soap
British Dictionary definitions for soft-soap
soft soap
noun
med another name for green soap
informal
flattering, persuasive, or cajoling talk
verb soft-soap
informal
to use such talk on (a person)
Cultural definitions for soft-soap
soft soap
Flattery: “Mary asked the boss to stop giving her a lot of soft soap about her performance and to start leveling with her like any other employee.”
Idioms and Phrases with soft-soap
soft soap
Flattery, cajolery, as in She's only six but she's learned how to get her way with soft soap. This colloquial expression alludes to liquid soap, likening its slippery quality to insincere flattery. Its figurative use was first recorded in 1830.