This is the 6016th most frequent Russian word.
смягчить
To soften or alleviate.
The word 'смягчить' is used in a figurative sense to mean making something less harsh or intense, in this case, a remark.
Она попыталась смягчить своё замечание.
She attempted to soften her remark.
Here, 'смягчить' is employed literally to indicate making the physical impact less severe.
Чтобы смягчить удар, он подложил подушку.
To soften the impact, he placed a pillow underneath.
In this sentence, 'смягчить' means 'to alleviate' or 'make less severe,' applied to the intensity of the cold ambiance.