"sweeten the pill" meaning in English

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "sweetens the pill",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "sweetening the pill",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "sweetened the pill",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "sweetened the pill",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "sweeten the pill (third-person singular simple present sweetens the pill, present participle sweetening the pill, simple past and past participle sweetened the pill)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
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          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
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          "source": "w"
        },
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          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
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          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1807 January 13, Thomas Jefferson, “Letter to John Dickinson”, in The Papers of Thomas Jefferson",
          "text": "This would not sweeten the pill to the French; but in making that acquisition we had some view to our own good as well as theirs, and I believe the greatest good of both will be promoted by whatever will amalgamate us together.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1880, Louisa May Alcott, chapter XXIII, in Jack and Jill: A Village Story",
          "text": "Exercise of all sorts is one of the lessons we are to learn,” said Mrs. Minot, suggesting all the pleasant things she could to sweeten the pill for her pupils, two of whom did love their books, not being old enough to know that even an excellent thing may be overdone.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Synonym of sugarcoat the pill"
      ],
      "id": "en-sweeten_the_pill-en-verb-lL-nvg66",
      "links": [
        [
          "sugarcoat the pill",
          "sugarcoat the pill#English"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "tags": [
            "synonym",
            "synonym-of"
          ],
          "word": "sugarcoat the pill"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "sweeten the pill"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "sweetens the pill",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "sweetening the pill",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "sweetened the pill",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "sweetened the pill",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "sweeten the pill (third-person singular simple present sweetens the pill, present participle sweetening the pill, simple past and past participle sweetened the pill)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
        "English idioms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1807 January 13, Thomas Jefferson, “Letter to John Dickinson”, in The Papers of Thomas Jefferson",
          "text": "This would not sweeten the pill to the French; but in making that acquisition we had some view to our own good as well as theirs, and I believe the greatest good of both will be promoted by whatever will amalgamate us together.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1880, Louisa May Alcott, chapter XXIII, in Jack and Jill: A Village Story",
          "text": "Exercise of all sorts is one of the lessons we are to learn,” said Mrs. Minot, suggesting all the pleasant things she could to sweeten the pill for her pupils, two of whom did love their books, not being old enough to know that even an excellent thing may be overdone.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Synonym of sugarcoat the pill"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "sugarcoat the pill",
          "sugarcoat the pill#English"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "tags": [
            "synonym",
            "synonym-of"
          ],
          "word": "sugarcoat the pill"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "sweeten the pill"
}