soften

American

[saw-fuhn, sof-uhn] / ˈsɔ fən, ˈsɒf ən /

verb (used with object)

to make soft or softer.

Synonyms:

ease, quiet, calm, alleviate, soothe, mitigate, mollify, melt

Antonyms:

harden

verb (used without object)

to become soft or softer.

Antonyms:

harden

soften British

/ ˈsɒfən /

verb

to make or become soft or softer
to make or become gentler
(intr) commerce
1. (of demand, a market, etc) to weaken
2. (of a price) to fall

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

oversoften verb
resoften verb
unsoftening adjective

Etymology

Origin of soften

Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; soft, -en ¹

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.

Two drafts contain notes typed in the margins with suggestions that seemed intended to soften the report’s effect and burnish the Fire Department’s image.

From Los Angeles Times

Plastic sheets are softened in an oven before being shaped and cooled.

From Barron's

Abdullah's voice softens as he says: "I consider her like my younger sister."

From BBC

“The ETI declined in October and November as data delayed by the government shutdown continued to show gradual softening in certain aspects of the labor market,” said Mitchell Barnes, an economist at The Conference Board.

From The Wall Street Journal

Canada’s economy rebounded in the third quarter, though that was thanks to a recovery in exports and a rise in government spending that more than made up for softening household spending and weak business investment.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023