soften somebody/something ↔ up

phrasal verbphr v

a) informalPERSUADE to be nice to someone before you ask them to do something, so that they will agree to help you 使…心软，打动

She was just softening me up.

她就是要叫我心软。

b) PMto make an enemy weaker so that they are easier to attack 削弱〔敌人以便进攻〕

Use artillery to soften up the enemy forces.

用大炮来削弱敌军。

c) to make something less hard or rough 使变软，使软化

Examples from the Corpus

soften up• I can see what they mean about women softening you up.• Iced sardines are trodden underfoot to soften them up.• It didn't really matter though, because the mulberries softened it up.• Here, bacteria get to work on it, softening it up and making it ready for chewing.• You want to soften me up, don't you?• Psycho-shock, I told myself, a way to soften you up for interrogation.• He was beginning to wonder if they weren't already softening him up for some kind of a change.• To soften me up for the kill?

→ soften somebody/something ↔ up at soften(1)

单词	soften somebody/something ↔ up
释义	soften somebody/something ↔ up soften somebody/something ↔ up phrasal verbphr v a) informalPERSUADE to be nice to someone before you ask them to do something, so that they will agree to help you 使…心软，打动 She was just softening me up. 她就是要叫我心软。 b) PMto make an enemy weaker so that they are easier to attack 削弱〔敌人以便进攻〕 Use artillery to soften up the enemy forces. 用大炮来削弱敌军。 c) to make something less hard or rough 使变软，使软化 Examples from the Corpus soften up• I can see what they mean about women softening you up.• Iced sardines are trodden underfoot to soften them up.• It didn't really matter though, because the mulberries softened it up.• Here, bacteria get to work on it, softening it up and making it ready for chewing.• You want to soften me up, don't you?• Psycho-shock, I told myself, a way to soften you up for interrogation.• He was beginning to wonder if they weren't already softening him up for some kind of a change.• To soften me up for the kill? → soften somebody/something ↔ up at soften(1)
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