soften

verb

soft·​en ˈsȯ-fən 

softened; softening ˈsȯ-fə-niŋ 

ˈsȯf-niŋ

transitive verb

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

softener

ˈsȯ-fə-nər 

ˈsȯf-nər

noun

Synonyms of soften

• weaken

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

The final product is injected into the face and neck to soften fine lines, tighten pores and create a foundation for the body’s own cells to regenerate. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026

And while the letter had one notable holdout, Anthropic, the company shortly after published a statement softening its position. — Don Muir, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

In recent years, critical attitudes towards Terrordome, which was Onwurah’s debut, have softened, with institutions programming the title as part of retrospectives and championing it as a seminal example of afrofuritist filmmaking. — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 29 July 2026

At the beginning of your skincare routine, apply a lip mask to help temporarily plump lips and soften the look of fine lines. — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 29 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing soften

• cushion/soften the blow
• soften up

Rhymes for soften

• boffin
• coffin
• offen
• often

Kids 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

softener

ˈsȯf-(ə-)nər 

noun