This is the 12300th most frequent French word.
édulcorer
To sweeten or make less harsh.
In this sentence, 'édulcorer' is used metaphorically to mean making one's words less harsh or critical, often to increase their appeal or acceptability.
Elle a dû édulcorer ses propos pour être mieux comprise par l'audience.
She had to tone down her statements to be better understood by the audience.
Here, 'édulcorer' retains its literal meaning, referring to the act of sweetening something, typically with the use of an alternative to sugar.
Pour le gâteau, il a utilisé un édulcorant afin d'édulcorer le mélange sans ajouter de sucre.
For the cake, he used a sweetener to sweeten the mix without adding sugar.
In this context, 'édulcorer' describes the process of modifying content to make it less intense, offensive, or controversial, aligning with its metaphorical usage.