Pehmittää

Pehmittää is a Finnish verb that translates to "to soften" or "to mollify." It is used in a variety of contexts, both literal and figurative.

Literally, pehmittää can refer to making something physically softer. For example, one might pehmittää dough by kneading it, or pehmittää a piece of meat by cooking it for a long time. It can also describe the process of softening hard materials, such as ice or wax.

Figuratively, pehmittää can describe the act of making something less harsh or severe. This could apply to emotions, such as pehmittää someone's anger or pehmittää a difficult situation. It can also refer to making something more agreeable or palatable, such as pehmittää a proposal to make it more acceptable to others. In a political context, it might describe efforts to moderate extreme positions or to find common ground. The word implies a gradual reduction of intensity or hardness, leading to a more yielding or gentle state.