soften up in the Oxford-Hachette French Dictionary

Translations for soften up in the English»French Dictionary

I.soften [Brit ˈsɒf(ə)n, Am ˈsɔfən] VB trans

II.soften [Brit ˈsɒf(ə)n, Am ˈsɔfən] VB intr

2. soften fig person, character, approach, attitude, position, view:

I.up [ʌp] ADJ Up appears frequently in English as the second element of phrasal verbs (get up, pick up etc.). For translations, consult the appropriate verb entry (get, pick etc.).

1. up (high):

VIII.up and down ADV (to and fro)

XIV.up <pres part upping; pret, pp upped> [ʌp] VB trans (increase)

XV.up <pres part upping; pret, pp upped> [ʌp] VB intr inf

See also pick over, pick, get

I.pick over VB [Brit pɪk -, Am pɪk -] (pick [sth] over, pick over [sth])

I.pick [Brit pɪk, Am pɪk] N

2. pick (poke) → pick at

I.get <pres part getting, prét got, pp got, gotten Am> [ɡet] VB trans This much-used verb has no multi-purpose equivalent in French and therefore is very often translated by choosing a synonym: to get lunch = to prepare lunch = préparer le déjeuner.
get is used in many idiomatic expressions (to get something off one's chest etc.) and translations will be found in the appropriate entry (chest etc.). This is also true of offensive comments (get stuffed etc.) where the appropriate entry would be stuff.
Remember that when get is used to express the idea that a job is done not by you but by somebody else (to get a room painted etc.) faire is used in French followed by an infinitive (faire repeindre une pièce etc.).
When get has the meaning of become and is followed by an adjective (to get rich/drunk etc.) devenir is sometimes useful but check the appropriate entry (rich, drunk etc.) as a single verb often suffices (s'enrichir, s'enivrer etc.).
For examples and further uses of get see the entry below.

II.get <pres part getting, prét got, pp got, gotten Am> [ɡet] VB intr

get her inf!
get him inf in that hat!
to get it up vulg sl
bander vulg sl
to get it up vulg sl
to get one's in Am inf

soften up in the PONS Dictionary

Translations for soften up in the English»French Dictionary

See also down3, down2, down1

American English

Monolingual examples (not verified by PONS Editors)

English
It was hoped that the preliminary naval and air bombardments would soften up the beach defences and destroy coastal strong points.
en.wikipedia.org
The aim was to cut through barbed wire and soften up the enemy defences.
www.stokesentinel.co.uk
I want all this skin to soften up a lot first.
en.wikipedia.org
Both of these schemes claim to make the boots soften up and conform to your leg as they dry.
www.horsechannel.com
Once broken-in, they wore out quickly as they continued to soften up.
en.wikipedia.org
Like any good support class, your team's main damage dealers will love having you around, as you soften up targets for them to pulverize.
www.pcgamer.com
The procedure uses lasers to soften up your fat, then they vacuum it out.
www.tmz.com
We need one tearaway in the 11 to soften up the opposition, even if (slightly) inaccurate.
www.espncricinfo.com
A warm environment helps the seed soften up, making it easier for your plant to sprout.
globalnews.ca
The bacon is first fried, followed by the apple pieces, which should soften up before they are taken out of the pan (they can alternatively be cooked in water instead).
en.wikipedia.org

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