soften
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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 First Minister seemed to soften his stance on new drilling earlier this year, saying that energy security should be considered in any new decisions on further exploration.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
The economist expects further weakness in gold prices as speculative excess is unwound and equity markets soften, noting that gold’s current correlation with the benchmark S&P 500 index is the highest in around 14 years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
Long seen as confrontational, she worked hard on the campaign trail to soften her image.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
A falling market is an early sign that spending and growth are about to soften.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
If the bars were made of wood, the planks would soften and become malleable; when I opened my eyes, the wood would be nothing but chips in a pile, to be used for kindling.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
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
The “falling backwards” Daphne experiences in Eddie’s company — traversing time — soothes, softens and delights her.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026
The bread itself naturally softens and rounds everything out, so you don’t need an alarming amount to make it feel indulgent.
From Salon ● May 25, 2026
I take her hand, and the shock of it softens her.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
I like to use softened goat cheese, rather than crumbly cheese, since it’s easier to spread.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
It has halted the downturn that San Francisco saw during the Covid pandemic, when the population fell and house prices softened.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
The bank notes that unemployment payments into Bank of America customer accounts softened in June.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026
Loose rock and debris shifted down slopes, reshaping parts of the surface and contributing to the softened appearance of many craters visible in Lucy's images.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 25, 2026
Her features are softened by our planet’s dust swimming around her.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
"For the first time, we are seeing a softening of the stance rather than a toughening of it - this is a huge success for Poland. Although we will fight for more," she said.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Officials agreed to those reductions amid worries that a softening labor market could need more support and believing policy was restrictive enough to keep lowering inflation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
Jefferies analyst Surinder Thind has been wary of the company’s growth prospects for months, flagging softening demand as far back as March, at the time of Accenture’s previous earnings report.
From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026
This phenomenon, known as "rate softening," is uncommon in most materials.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 11, 2026
Instead of softening one's manner, she worsens it.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
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.
