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
Add red pepper flakes and dried oregano, letting them bloom in the fat just long enough to wake up—fragrant, a little toasty, the edges of their flavor beginning to soften and deepen.
From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026
Banks may build provisions before improving later, while consumer demand could soften, they say, and prefer more defensive names for now.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 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
Mrs. Quinn is lying, trying to soften the news.
From "Boy21" by Matthew Quick
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.
