soften
Americanverb (used with object)
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softens,
present (3rd person singular)
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softened,
past participle, past
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softening
present participle
verb (used without object)
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softens,
present (3rd person singular)
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softened,
past participle, past
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softening
present participle
verb
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to make or become soft or softer
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to make or become gentler
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(intr) commerce
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(of demand, a market, etc) to weaken
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(of a price) to fall
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Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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softensimple
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softenssimple
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have softenedperfect
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has softenedperfect
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am softeningprogressive
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are softeningprogressive
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is softeningprogressive
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have been softeningperfect progressive
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has been softeningperfect progressive
Past
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softenedsimple
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had softenedperfect
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was softeningprogressive
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were softeningprogressive
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had been softeningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of soften
Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; see origin at soft, -en 1
Explanation
To soften is to make something soft, or to become soft. A stick of butter will soften after sitting on the counter for an hour—or you can soften it by squishing it with a wooden spoon. You can literally soften things, the way a sculptor softens clay or you soften the skin on your hands with lotion. Turning down the sound is another way to soften something: "I'll soften the radio so it doesn't keep you awake." When you make something gentler or less severe, you also soften it, like when a lawmaker tries to soften the effect of a law by proposing a tax cut in return.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
She may soften her stance when she sees you leading by example.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
But in recent weeks, it has appeared to soften its stance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
"We need immigration to soften enough that housing has a chance to catch up," he said, while stressing the housing shortage was not caused by migrants.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
So please, just fight for the things that crack light into your life, fight for the things that soften you.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
“None of your business,” I tell him, but I soften the words with a smile.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
This town kind of just softens off the edges of him a little bit and helps him become a little more authentic version of who he was maybe meant to be.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
The album was preceded in May by “Rough and Twisted,” a wandering blues number with riffs like barbed wire, and “In the Stars,” which softens arena rock with polished backing vocals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Buying equity stakes rather than owning depreciating fleets softens that, but the line between “demand layer” and “co-investor in hardware” thins with each deal.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
Instead of carving away tissue like LASIK, the method temporarily softens the cornea so it can be gently molded into a new shape.
From Science Daily ● May 28, 2026
When he sees us, his face softens and he smiles broadly.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
But the immediate impact of the sanctions was softened by a series of exemptions that offer a de facto six-month grace period.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
India has also recently softened foreign direct investment rules, which could open the door to Chinese companies wanting to expand Indian investments.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
The onion and fennel softened, browned and grew sweeter.
From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026
And while Microsoft has said demand remains ahead of supply, Reback noted that it “has softened its messaging around the need to deploy additional capacity” toward some of its initiatives.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
It was Mr. Collins’s picture of Hunsford and Rosings rationally softened; and Elizabeth perceived that she must wait for her own visit there to know the rest.
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
But the concentration around large AI bets leaves the market vulnerable to a softening in AI enthusiasm.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Nike falls after Bank of America downgrades the stock on concerns about innovation, wholesale revenue, and softening demand.
From Barron's ● Sep. 25, 2026
Likewise, movement from strong disagreement towards ordinary disagreement may signal a softening of attitudes even when overall disagreement remains high.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 9, 2026
“Labor Day weekend often reveals softening spot prices,” Eli Rubin of EBW Analytics says in a note.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
“It’s simply that it’s a most delicate and intricate piece of machinery,” Mrs. Montague was saying to Theodora; she was still angry, but visibly softening under Theodora’s sympathetic attention.
From "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
