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:
This is not the first time lawmakers have tried to soften the rule.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Looking ahead, surveys indicate the Swiss economy carried momentum into the third quarter, even if growth will likely soften in the second half of the year, Amajuri said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Its peppery bite survives the wait, while the leaves soften into the sauces rather than collapsing into wet ribbons.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
After initially ignoring the protesters, the government has made a delayed attempt to soften its stand.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
It would take several more storms for the ground to soften.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
Add the onion and remaining corn and cook over medium-low until the onion softens.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 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
The additives lower the temperature at which the glass softens and make it flow more easily when heated, which could simplify manufacturing.
From Science Daily ● May 22, 2026
“No other region relies as heavily on international visitation, so when global travel softens, L.A. feels it first and most acutely.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 2026
Only, when the noise of the radio softens and Emmett’s and George’s voices strain, Axel can’t help but dip in and out of their words instead of his own good thoughts.
From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers
Rather than fully melting the metals, both methods softened them enough to form and deposit the cemented carbide.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026
The benefit of returning to a story like this 20 years after a first viewing is that presumably, time has softened us.
From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026
As Treasury yields on the long end of the curve shot higher last week, the Japanese currency softened to its weakest level against the dollar in four decades.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026
The metal likely found some relief as oil prices retreated, bond yields inched lower and the dollar softened, says Kudo.com’s Konstantinos Chrysikos in an email.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Her face softened and she sighed, and Nok could tell that the words that came next weren't the ones her mother had practiced.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
Walmart reported its weakest sales growth in six years, extending a string of data suggesting that consumer spending—the key engine of U.S. economic growth—is softening somewhat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
At the last couple of races before the summer break, which is brought to an end by this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix, a softening of Verstappen's tone in F1 was discernible.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
I could also get behind some kind of reclamation for Daemon, who experienced some parental softening this season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
For potatoes, this step can begin softening the tissue and help prepare the surface for frying.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
But Longstreet felt himself yielding, softening, bending like a young tree in the wind.
From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara
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.
