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.

Netflix, meanwhile, has seemed to soften its dislike for theatrical distribution.

From The Wall Street Journal

The data could soften the case for the BOJ to raise rates quickly and weigh on the yen.

From The Wall Street Journal

And they’ve reported strong sales to international destinations and in premium classes this year, even as domestic and main-cabin sales softened.

From The Wall Street Journal

Household debt ballooned to a record $18.6 trillion during the third quarter of 2025, and the central bank is expected to lower its benchmark rate just once or twice next year to soften borrowing costs.

From MarketWatch

It is hard to imagine U.S. consumers actually wanting balanced trade; it would only come about through significant reductions in already tightening consumer spending or a softening of foreign demand for U.S. assets.

From Barron's

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