soft pedal

US: (sôft′ped′l, soft′-)

Inflections of 'soft pedal' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

When both "l" and "ll" forms exist, spellings with a double "l" are correct, but rare, in US English, while those with a single "l" are not correct in UK English.

soft-pedals

v 3rd person singular

soft-pedalling

v pres p (Mainly UK)

soft-pedaling

v pres p (US)

soft-pedalled

v past (Mainly UK)

soft-pedaled

v past (US)

soft-pedalled

v past p (Mainly UK)

soft-pedaled

v past p (US)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

soft′ ped′al, 

1. Music and Dance Also called una corda pedal. a pedal, as on a piano, for reducing tonal volume.
2. Informal Terms something that restrains or dampens:
   to put a soft pedal on one's enthusiasm.
• 1920–25

soft-ped•al  (sôft′ped′l, soft′-), v., -aled, -al•ing or (esp. Brit.) -alled, -al•ling. 
v.i. 

1. Music and Dance to use the soft pedal.

v.t. 

2. Music and Dance to soften the sound of by using the soft pedal.
3. Informal Terms to tone or play down;
   make less strong, as an idea or fact:
   The dean soft-pedaled the reports of cheating.

• verb, verbal use of noun, nominal phrase soft pedal 1915–20

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ˈsoft-ˈped•al,  v. [~ + object] , -aled, -al•ing or (esp. Brit.) -alled, -al•ling. 

1. Informal Terms to attempt to make (something) appear less obvious or objectionable;
   downplay:
   When the salesman saw their interest, he soft-pedaled the high price of the car.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

soft-pedal verb ( -als, -alling, -alled) ( -als, -aling, -aled)(transitive)

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

noun soft pedal

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, piano1