soft pedal
noun
a pedal, as on a piano, for reducing tonal volume.
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soft pedal
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soft-pedal
soft-pedalverb (used without object)to use the soft pedal.
soft pedal
1 Americannoun
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Also called una corda pedal. a pedal, as on a piano, for reducing tonal volume.
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Informal. something that restrains or dampens.
to put a soft pedal on one's enthusiasm.
soft-pedal
2
American
[sawft-ped-l, soft-]
/ ˌsɔftˈpɛd l, ˌsɒft- /
verb (used without object)
soft-pedaled,
soft-pedaling,
soft-pedalled,
soft-pedalling
verb (used with object)
soft-pedaled,
soft-pedaling,
soft-pedalled,
soft-pedalling
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to soften the sound of by using the soft pedal.
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Informal. to tone or play down; make less strong, as an idea or fact.
The dean soft-pedaled the reports of cheating.
soft-pedal
British
verb
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to mute the tone of (a piano) by depressing the soft pedal
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informal to make (something, esp something unpleasant) less obvious by deliberately failing to emphasize or allude to it
noun
soft pedal
Idioms
Etymology
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
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“For local politicians, it’s a pretty easy call when 60, 70, 80% of their county voted ‘no’ on the issue, to soft pedal it and not treat it like a serious crime,” he said.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 13, 2024
And even though Slate’s Matt Yglesias tries to soft pedal his designation by saying Snowden’s not necessarily the “best” but simply the most “influential” figure of the year, he’s wrong.
From Forbes ● Dec. 18, 2013
I had a few spots where I wanted to soft pedal but maintain speed.
From Reuters ● May 18, 2012
I thought that later I might also play the piano, something quiet, using the soft pedal.
From "Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. O’Brien
So we’re going to put the soft pedal on individual brilliancy this year.
From The Turner Twins by Barbour, Ralph Henry
That hasn’t caused him to soft-pedal his accusations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
But Morrow’s quiet intensity, which doesn’t soft-pedal Isaac’s arrogance and belligerence, has a haunting quality.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2024
But this is a longstanding problem, and it helps no one to soft-pedal that reality.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 17, 2023
No need to soft-pedal your unreasonable antipathy, Amy.
From Washington Post ● May 8, 2022
I braced myself against his request, fearing he would ask me to soft-pedal.
From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin
Rubin himself, ethnic and racial strife is ignored or soft-pedaled.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2023
Ideological differences that were "soft-pedaled a year or two ago" were suddenly getting "a high-octane emphasis."
From Salon ● Nov. 21, 2022
Jackson had soft-pedaled economic questions while campaigning, but he privately believed that government support for economic change would tempt lawmakers and businessmen to trade favors corruptly.
From Textbooks ● Jan. 18, 2018
During Tuesday’s meeting, Kobach soft-pedaled the column, emphasizing that it was only 800 words and saying he struggled over certain verb choices.
From Slate ● Sep. 13, 2017
Nor were its views soft-pedaled in the press release issued after the conference.
From Integration of the Armed Forces, 1940-1965 by MacGregor, Morris J.
This may be soft-pedaling matters somewhat — to read the historical accounts might give you a different picture — but as drama it pays dividends.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2025
It’s a strange choice, one made doubly so by the continual soft-pedaling in portraying Japan’s colonization of Korea.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 25, 2022
Nothing is to be gained, at this point, by soft-pedaling any initiative.
From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2019
Through hard experience, other leaders have concluded that direct confrontation can backfire, so they have taken to soft-pedaling disagreements.
From New York Times ● Aug. 25, 2019
“I’d like to hear a little more about the trip to Fort Scott,” he said, soft-pedaling.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
In contrast to China, Seoul - which has been keen to build ties with Japan - has soft-pedalled its concerns and on Tuesday it said it "respects" the IAEA's findings.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2023
But Mr Cryan has soft-pedalled on the sale.
From Economist ● Jul. 14, 2016
To date, Swann's absence for remedial surgery on his elbow injury has been stoically soft-pedalled.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 15, 2013
The debates are not soft-pedalled, yet Barker's targets, neatly pleated together, are sufficiently varied for the drama not to seem narrowly didactic.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 13, 2012
Simon always maintained not everyone could handle too much soft-pedalled reality.
From The Land of Look Behind by Brown, Paul Cameron
If it comes to fruition, there would be no sentimental soft-pedalling from Jones though.
From BBC ● Apr. 25, 2026
It has also raised questions whether his approach on human rights with China - he characterised it as "patience" but others criticised it as soft-pedalling - was justified in the end.
From BBC ● Dec. 30, 2024
The new education secretary has said she will be "nice to teachers", but she made it clear in an interview with the Sunday Times that she would not be "soft-pedalling" in the job.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 21, 2014
Brian McDermott likes nothing more than soft-pedalling any notions of over-reaction and was close to inaudible at his post-match press conference, so even was his keel, so cooled were his boots.
From The Guardian ● Jan. 7, 2013
The BBC's Jeremy Bowen in Sanaa says Yemen has been accused of soft-pedalling on al-Qaeda and is currently under pressure from its ally the US to produce results.
From BBC ● Jan. 7, 2010
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
