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Glite Dictionary
😏 Insincere praise 🧴 A mild soap
soft soap

soft soap

1 7.6
Insincere praise used to try to influence someone
  • noun
  • /sɔft soʊp/
  • Informal
translation icon : halagos
  • He tried to win their approval with plenty of soft soap but failed to convince them.

Examples

  • Don't believe the soft soap!

  • Don't fall for her soft soap; she's only being nice because she wants something.

  • The politician's speech was filled with soft soap, but his promises rang hollow.

  • He used a lot of soft soap to win her over.

  • The politician's speech was filled with soft soap to win over the crowd.

  • You don't need to use soft soap; just be honest about your intentions.

  • I could see through his soft soap; he was just trying to get my vote.

Synonyms

adulation
vssoft soap
  • Formal
18 8.4

Too much praise that is not honest and meant to get approval

is persuasive talk that is more about influence than pure praise
coaxing
vssoft soap
5 4.4

Gentle persuasion using praise or kind words to get someone to do something

is persuasive talk that usually includes more flattery or exaggeration
sweet talk
vssoft soap
  • Informal
3 4.3

Flattering words that try to persuade someone but are not sincere

is a broader persuasive talk that may include exaggeration or general influence
blarney
vssoft soap
3 8.7

Talk that flatters to gain favor or advantage

is general persuasive talk focused on influence rather than deception
puffery
vssoft soap
  • Jargon
2 8.3

Claims that exaggerate product benefits and are not meant literally

is persuasive talk used generally beyond advertisement, aiming to influence
wheedling
vssoft soap
1 7.8

Getting someone to do something by saying nice things and asking again and again

is persuasive speech that often lacks the same persistence
cajolery
vssoft soap
1 8.4

Gentle praise and kind words used to get someone to do something

is broader persuasive talk not necessarily involving repeated urging
smarminess
vssoft soap
  • Informal
1 9.2

Too much praise that tries to make people like you

is persuasive speech that focuses more on charm than smugness

How Flattering

adulation
  • Formal
18 8.4
soft soap
  • Informal
1 7.6
to praise
331 1.0
compliment
342 1.6

Surface Forms

soft soap singular
soft soaps plural

Morphology

soft + soap

The sense 'insincere flattery' is not a straightforward combination of 'soft' (not harsh) and the literal cleaning substance 'soap'; there is no direct compositional logic that yields the metaphorical meaning. This is a lexicalized metaphor (compare the verb 'to soft-soap') and would not be predictable to an average B1 learner who knows the constituent words, so it is opaque.

Etymology

Soft soap may come from the image of rubbing soft oily soap to make a surface smooth, like 'softening' someone with gentle words. That's why soft soap means 'fake praise' used 'to persuade someone'.