soften

verb

ˈsȯ-fən How to pronounce soften (audio)
Definition of softennext
1
as in to weaken
to diminish the physical strength of three weeks of being sick in bed had noticeably softened her

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to alleviate
to lessen the shock of had tried to soften the blow of her rejection to his marriage proposal

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of soften Monolithic gray counters and softened architectural forms are interspersed with furniture and lighting from Yakusha’s Faina collection. — Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 14 July 2026 Even the all-white palette has softened into warm creams, acknowledging the Delano's past without feeling locked inside it. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 July 2026 The marketplace remains competitive, at least partially due to lawmakers’ decision to soften the blow of falling subsidies, said Kate Harris, chief deputy commissioner at the Colorado Division of Insurance. — Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 13 July 2026 Let stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until berries are softened and syrupy, 30 minutes to 1 hour. — Josh Miller, Southern Living, 12 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for soften
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soften
  1. weaken
  2. alleviate
  3. mitigate
  4. temper
  5. buffer
  6. cushion
Verb
  • The flow of dark traffic is one of the factors that helped explain why oil markets had weakened significantly by early June, together with a surge in exports from the US and pullback in buying by China.
    — Weilun Soon, Fortune, 5 July 2026
  • But as several surveys have consistently indicated, optimism about our country's outlook has undeniably weakened.
    — Robert Hormats, Time, 4 July 2026
Definition of weaken
Verb
  • The shipments meant Adnoc was able to take greater advantage of surging oil prices earlier in the war, and helped alleviate the impact of the broader closure of the strait on global supplies.
    — Weilun Soon, Fortune, 5 July 2026
  • This is a critical time in history to create sustainable prevention and optimization, not simply alleviate symptoms.
    — Sherry McAllister, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of alleviate
Verb
  • Obicetrapib maker NewAmsterdam Pharma plans to begin a study soon to test if the drug's cholesterol effects also can mitigate the Alzheimer's risk in people carrying one or two copies of that gene.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 July 2026
  • Obicetrapib maker NewAmsterdam Pharma plans to begin a study soon to test if the drug’s cholesterol effects also can mitigate the Alzheimer’s risk in people carrying one or two copies of that gene.
    — Lauran Neergaard, Fortune, 14 July 2026
Definition of mitigate
Verb
  • Miranda Priestly, the no-nonsense visionary, pushes for excellence and learns to temper her high standards with a more collaborative outlook.
    — Kate Wieczorek, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • Iraq ultimately didn’t score a goal against Senegal but that did not temper the passion shown by the country’s fans.
    — Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 26 June 2026
Definition of temper
Verb
  • Larger ponds are generally more forgiving, as greater water volume helps buffer fluctuations in water chemistry and temperature.
    — Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 9 July 2026
  • The quality of hoops ranged from genuinely exciting to a snooze, all generally played at a quick tempo that was only occasionally buffered by replay reviews of calls made under the lowest of stakes.
    — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 7 July 2026
Definition of buffer
Verb
  • The burden will be highest for low-income households with less room in their budgets to cushion such increases, Fletcher says.
    — Emma Court, Fortune, 8 July 2026
  • That’s flanked by a PMXFoam midsole with a mock leather welt, lightweight and cushioned footbed, and a TPU outsole with flexible spikes that deliver responsive traction.
    — Scott Kramer, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of cushion

Browse Nearby Words

soft drinks
soften
softened
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Soften.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soften. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on soften

Nglish: Translation of soften for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All