softened; softening
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
: to become soft or softer
her face softened
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 on the Web
Inside, its modernist lines are softened by lush textiles and the soft curves of furnishings from Urquiola’s designs for Italian brands such as Cassina and Molteni, as well as the vertical gardens developed by botanist Patrick Blanc.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
And while some grudges eventually soften with time, others can linger long after the original conflict has ended.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Let other half sit at room temperature 5 minutes to soften slightly.
—Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 June 2026
The White House softened its posture against Anthropic in May, after the release of its AI model Claude Mythos, which proved itself adept at finding critical software bugs.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for soften
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Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
And while some grudges eventually soften with time, others can linger long after the original conflict has ended.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Let other half sit at room temperature 5 minutes to soften slightly.
—Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 June 2026
The White House softened its posture against Anthropic in May, after the release of its AI model Claude Mythos, which proved itself adept at finding critical software bugs.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for soften
Cite this Entry
“Soften.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soften. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
soften
verb
soft·en
ˈsȯ-fən
softened; softening
ˈsȯf-(ə-)niŋ
1
: to make or become soft or softer
2
: to lessen the strength of
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