смягча́ть

rare #20500

verbimperfective perfective is смягчи́ть

1.
to soften, to make supple
Тёплая вода́ смягча́ет ко́жу.
Warm water softens the skin.
Of skin, materials, water etc.
2.
to ease, to mitigate, to alleviate, to reduce
Его сло́ва смягча́ли боль.
His words eased the pain.
Of pain, stress, punishment, criticism.
3.
to mollify, to placate, to soften (a person)
Слёзы до́чери смягча́ли отца́.
His daughter's tears softened the father.
Object is a person or their anger.
4.
(rare) to palatalizephonetics
Мя́гкий знак смягча́ет согла́сный.
The soft sign palatalizes the consonant.

Usage info

Common usage:

Крем смягчает кожу рук после мороза.
The cream softens the skin on the hands after frostbite.
Буфера смягчают удар при столкновении вагонов.
The buffers soften the impact when railway cars collide.
Линии, подтушёвываемые художником, смягчали контур.
The lines, softened by the artist, toned down the contour.
Чистосерде́чное призна́ние смягча́ет наказа́ние.
A frank confession mitigates the punishment.
Затыльник приклада смягчает удар при выстреле.
The butt plate of the stock cushions the recoil when the gun is fired.
Амортизирующий механизм смягчает удары при движении.
The shock-absorbing mechanism softens impacts while the vehicle is moving.
Суд иногда смягчает наказание за хорошее поведение.
The court sometimes reduces the sentence for good behavior.

Imperative
ты	смягча́й
вы	смягча́йте

Active present	смягча́ющий	emollient
Active past	смягча́вший	softening, mitigating, alleviating
Passive present	смягча́емый	softenable, mitigable, capable of being softened, capable of being mitigated
Passive past	-
Gerund present	смягча́я	while doing (present)
Gerund past	смягча́в смягчавши	while doing (past)

смягчи́тьto soften; to alleviate; to soften; to mollify; to palatalize
verbperfective
смягче́ниеmitigation; softening; palatalization
nounneuter
смягчи́тьсяto soften; to relent; to ease
verbperfective