smooth
verb/smuːð/
/smuːð/
Verb Forms
Idioms Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they smooth | /smuːð/ /smuːð/ |
| he / she / it smooths | /smuːðz/ /smuːðz/ |
| past simple smoothed | /smuːðd/ /smuːðd/ |
| past participle smoothed | /smuːðd/ /smuːðd/ |
| -ing form smoothing | /ˈsmuːðɪŋ/ /ˈsmuːðɪŋ/ |
- to make something smooth
- smooth something (back/down/out) He smoothed his hair back.
- She was smoothing out the creases in her skirt.
- smooth something + adj. He took the letter and smoothed it flat on the table.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- carefully
- gently
- away
- …
- smooth something on/into/over something to put a layer of a soft substance over a surface
- Smooth the icing over the top of the cake.
- smooth something to make it easier for something to happen
- The receptionist is there to smooth the process of making appointments.
- We're always looking for ways to smooth the flow of clients through the bureau.
Word OriginOld English smōth, probably of Germanic origin, though no cognates are known. The verb dates from Middle English.
Idioms
See smooth in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee smooth in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishsmooth the path/way
- to make it easier for somebody/something to develop or make progress
- These negotiations are intended to smooth the path to a peace treaty.
- We’re trying to smooth the way for women who want to resume their careers.
smooth (somebody’s) ruffled feathers
- to make somebody feel less angry or offended
Check pronunciation:
smooth