soften

verb soft·en \ ˈsȯ-fən \

Definition of soften

softened; softening play \ˈsȯ-fə-niŋ, ˈsȯf-niŋ\

1 : to make soft or softer

2 a : to weaken the military resistance or the morale of especially by harassment (such as preliminary bombardment) —often used with up

b : to impair the strength or resistance of —often used with up

soften up a sales prospect

intransitive verb

: to become soft or softer

her face softened

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softener

play \ˈsȯ-fə-nər, ˈsȯf-nər\ noun

See soften defined for English-language learners

See soften defined for kids

Examples of soften in a Sentence

The butter will soften if left on the counter overnight.
The recipe called for one stick of butter, softened.
The oil is used to soften and preserve the leather.
The lotion softens dry skin.
The company has softened its stance on dating in the workplace.
Her face softened when he entered the room.
His criticism of the president has softened in the past year.
The grass softened my fall.

Recent Examples of soften from the Web

Now years later, Trump's views about his brother—and his addiction—have softened.

— caroline hallemann, Town & Country, "How Donald Trump's Brother Fred Jr. Shaped His Views on Addiction," 26 Oct. 2017
The dining/tasting room is huge, too, a bit barn-like, though there are booths along one wall and a bar on the other, and the atmosphere is softened with some of the signifiers of craft beer: natural stone, things cut out of wood.

— polly campbell, Cincinnati.com, "Rivertown's Barrel House in Monroe serves beer-friendly food," 26 Oct. 2017
Us bankruptcy could be softened by the broader availability of its toys at drugstores, dollar stores and online.

— paul page, WSJ, "Today’s Top Supply Chain and Logistics News From WSJ," 24 Oct. 2017
Ambulances rides in San Diego will cost 24 percent more and response-time requirements will be softened under policy changes for the city’s ambulance operator unanimously approved on Tuesday by the City Council.

— david garrick, sandiegouniontribune.com, "San Diego ambulance fees to rise 24 percent, response times may lag," 24 Oct. 2017
In her vision this great Romantic ballet has been further softened and romanticized, relying almost solely on mime, facial expressions, and pure and simple technique.

— lauren warnecke, chicagotribune.com, "Joffrey Ballet sets aside its modern lines and embraces 'Giselle'," 19 Oct. 2017
But the policy of the organization then (which has since changed and softened) was that inmates needed to have exhausted all appeals.

— eric adler and and max londberg, kansascity, "Lamonte McIntyre's release ends his mother's trial | The Kansas City Star," 15 Oct. 2017
Can fact-checking soften either side in the Israeli-Palinstinean conflict?

— james warren, The Hive, "Is the Media to Blame for America’s World Cup Disaster?," 12 Oct. 2017
After a day or two, when the wax is softened, use a rubber-bulb syringe to gently squirt warm water into your ear canal.

— seattle times staff, The Seattle Times, "Home remedies: Cleaning out the earwax," 26 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'soften.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of soften

14th century

soften Synonyms

SOFTEN Defined for English Language Learners

soften

verb

Definition of soften for English Language Learners

: to become less hard or firm or to make (something) less hard or firm
: to make (something) less dry or rough
: to make (something) less severe, harsh, extreme, etc.

SOFTEN Defined for Kids

soften

verb soft·en \ ˈsȯ-fən \

Definition of soften for Students

softened; softening

1 : to make or become soft or less firm

Let the wax soften in the sun.

2 : to make or become gentler or less harsh

The elder's stern expression softened.
—Brian Jacques, Redwall

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softener

noun

Learn More about soften

See words that rhyme with soften Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for soften Spanish Central: Translation of soften Nglish: Translation of soften for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of soften for Arabic speakers

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soften

Definition of soften

softener

Examples of soften in a Sentence

Recent Examples of soften from the Web

First Known Use of soften

soften Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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SOFTEN Defined for English Language Learners

soften

Definition of soften for English Language Learners

SOFTEN Defined for Kids

soften

Definition of soften for Students

softener

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