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
"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
At On Holding, there are no plans to slash price tags even after its weakest retail sales since going public in 2021 forced the company to soften its sales outlook.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
He hugs me, holds me long enough to soften my stubborn tears.
From "Watch Us Rise" by Renée Watson and Ellen Hagan
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 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
“When the housing market softens, and it has, condos usually go softer faster than single-family homes,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026
Caught, I stammer, trying to come up with some kind of explanation, because I know how bad this must look—but Mrs. McCracken’s face softens.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
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
‘You girls,’ he said, but his voice had softened.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
“Our measures for underlying economic growth have not turned decisively bearish yet, but that’s market pricing collectively suggesting that maybe at least at the margin growth is softening somewhat,” Rizzuto said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 11, 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
Prices also eased on expectations that Saudi Arabia could restore some disrupted export capacity, softening Middle Eastern supply concerns.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 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
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.
