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
- oversoften verb
- resoften verb
- unsoftening adjective
Etymology
Origin of soften
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.
These included suspending duties on all imports with the exception of those from Russia and Belarus and adjusting the carbon border tax to soften its impact, she said.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
Drop in quick-cooking noodles and let them soften directly in the soup.
From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026
The International Energy Agency is currently assessing whether tapping reserves of oil further is needed to soften the blow from spiking prices.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026
For now, fiscal policy is shouldering some of the weight, with governments across Asia resorting to measures like fuel subsidies and price caps to soften the blow to consumers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026
His eyes don’t grow any harsher, but they don’t quite soften either.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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.
