soften up

英 [ˈsɒfn ʌp]

美 [ˈsɔːfn ʌp]

（求助于人之前）讨好，安抚

柯林斯词典

• PHRASAL VERB (求助于人之前)讨好，安抚
  If yousoftensomeoneup, you put them into a good mood before asking them to do something.
  1. If they'd treated you well it was just to soften you up.
     他们要是对你好，也不过是为了讨好你罢了。

双语例句

• Okay, I was trying to soften you up.
  好了，我那是在软化你。
• When I think you sat in a wheelchair to soften me up.
  你居然坐轮椅，跟我装可怜。
• First they would "soften up" an island, weakening the resistance by shelling the enemy strongholds with bombs from offshore ships.
  首先他们会“软化”该岛，以离岸船舰发射炮弹摧毁敌人的防线，削弱他们的守卫。
• She tried to soften up her sister by buying her some chocolates.
  她试图用巧克力来安抚她的妹妹。
• Belgrade did suffer through several days of artillery attacks and three days of aerial bombardment, which served to soften up the Yugoslav capital.
  贝尔格莱德遭受了连续几天的地面炮火和三天的空中轰炸，严重削弱了城防。
• Soften up a prospective buyer with soft-sell tactics
  用诱劝等软推销手法软化未来的买主
• The frozen earth begins to soften up at the beginning of spring every year.
  每年一开春，冻土就开始融化。
• If they'd treated you well it was just to soften you up.
  他们要是对你好，也不过是为了讨好你罢了。
• We'll soften you up, I promise you.
  我向你保证，我们会让你老实的。
• The way to eat a frozen pear is to first immerse it in cold boiled water. The pear will soon be coated with ice and then soften up gradually.
  吃冻梨要先把它放入凉开水中缓解，刚入水的梨会在表皮上结一层厚厚的冰，不多久就会软化。