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
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have softenedperfect
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has softenedperfect 3rd person singular
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am softeningprogressive 1st person singular
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have been softeningperfect progressive
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is softeningprogressive 3rd person singular
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softenssingular 3rd person
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softeningparticiple
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has been softeningperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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are softeningprogressive
Past
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had softenedperfect
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was softeningprogressive singular
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softenedsimple
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had been softeningperfect progressive
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were softeningprogressive plural
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softenedparticiple
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.
Sitting there outside Thank You Coffee, I felt something in me soften.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 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
However, MOF glasses soften only at high temperatures -- above 300 °C -- close to their degradation temperature, making manufacturing challenging and limiting broader use.
From Science Daily • May 22, 2026
SIA’s outlook in the near term remains clouded by high jet fuel costs and travel demand, which could soften as consumers defer travel, Tan says.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
“I’m sorry to say that there’s still something stiff and severe in my drawings, and I think that she, namely her influence will be needed to soften that.”
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
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.
