soft pedal

¹

noun

1. Also called una corda pedal. a pedal, as on a piano, for reducing tonal volume.
2. Informal. something that restrains or dampens:

   to put a soft pedal on one's enthusiasm.

soft-pedal

²

[ sawft-ped-l, soft- ]

verb (used without object)

, soft-ped·aled, soft-ped·al·ing or (especially British) soft-ped·alled, soft-ped·al·ling.

1. to use the soft pedal.

verb (used with object)

, soft-ped·aled, soft-ped·al·ing or (especially British) soft-ped·alled, soft-ped·al·ling.

1. to soften the sound of by using the soft pedal.
2. Informal. to tone or play down; make less strong, as an idea or fact:

   The dean soft-pedaled the reports of cheating.

soft-pedal

verb

1. to mute the tone of (a piano) by depressing the soft pedal
2. informal.
   to make (something, esp something unpleasant) less obvious by deliberately failing to emphasize or allude to it

noun

1. a foot-operated lever on a piano, the left one of two, that either moves the whole action closer to the strings so that the hammers strike with less force or causes fewer of the strings to sound Compare sustaining pedal piano 1

Word History and Origins

Origin of soft pedal¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Origin of soft pedal²

First recorded in 1915–20; v. use of noun phrase soft pedal

Idioms and Phrases

Something that de-emphasizes, restrains, or plays down, as in The mayor put a soft pedal on this potentially explosive situation . This expression alludes to the una corda or soft pedal of the piano, which reduces the volume of the sound. It gave rise to the verb soft-pedal , meaning both “reduce the volume of” or “make less emphatic, downplay.” [Early 1900s]

Example Sentences

And when the AHA is reintroduced in parliament, as it inevitably will be, he can soft-pedal.

From The Daily Beast

It would do nothing about climate change and would embrace but soft-pedal and rebrand social conservatism.

From The Daily Beast

Even when the crowd turned loud and nasty on certain foreign-policy points, Paul refused to soft-pedal his anti-interventionism.

From The Daily Beast

She muffled the notes with the soft pedal and broke off frequently.

From Project Gutenberg

"Do them good," her friend said viciously, but with the soft pedal down for once.

From Project Gutenberg

Grandma—she'd put down her foot—soft pedal—she's done that all my life.

From Project Gutenberg

If I thought it would please you I'd cut out the brass band effects and put some soft pedal polish on my manners.

From Project Gutenberg

On Dec. 20,1913, we find the "Outlook" "putting the soft pedal" on the public indignation.

From Project Gutenberg