unsteel
Definition
- Verb:
- To make less hard or rigid: "unsteel" means to remove the hardness, firmness, or resolve from something, especially a person's character, determination, or will.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- The news of his friend's illness unsteeled his heart, making him weep openly. (The news softened his emotional hardness.)
- She tried to unsteel her resolve, but her determination remained unshaken. (She attempted to weaken her firm decision.)
- Time and hardship had unsteeled his once-iron will. (Time and difficulty had made his will less strong.)
Advanced Usage
"to unsteel one's nerves": to calm or relax one's tense or hardened emotional state.
- He took a deep breath to unsteel his nerves before speaking. (He tried to relax his tense feelings.)
"to unsteel the heart": to make someone more compassionate or less emotionally guarded.
- Her kind words unsteeled his heart, and he forgave her. (Her words softened his emotional defenses.)
Variants and Related Words
Steel (verb): to make hard, strong, or resolute.
- He steeled himself for the difficult task. (He prepared himself with firm resolve.)
Steely (adj): resembling steel in hardness, strength, or color.
- She gave him a steely look. (A firm, unyielding gaze.)
Unsteeling (noun): the act or process of making less hard.
- The unsteeling of his character took years of gentle persuasion. (The gradual softening of his personality.)
Synonyms
- Weaken: to make less strong or effective.
- Soften: to make less hard or severe.
- Relax: to make less tense or rigid.
- Mollify: to calm or soothe, reducing anger or hardness.
Phrasal Verbs
Related Idioms
To melt one's heart: to make someone feel compassion or love.
- The puppy's eyes melted her heart. (Made her feel tender and loving.)
To take the edge off: to reduce the intensity of something.
- A warm bath took the edge off his anger. (Reduced his anger's sharpness.)