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
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.
While convenient, these warmer conditions speed up respiration and ripening, causing fruit to soften and deteriorate more rapidly.
From Science Daily • May 23, 2026
Merck is moving to soften an upcoming blow in 2028, when key patent protections for Keytruda begin to expire.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
Add shredded cabbage or whatever vegetables you have, let everything soften, and finish with a drizzle of sesame oil or chili crisp.
From Salon • May 22, 2026
Paul Smith raised prices to absorb tariffs, but that didn’t soften demand, Venters said.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
About waiting for the sharp bite of winter to soften into spring.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
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.
