as in weak
lacking bodily strength
the athlete, softened by the long period of convalescence, had to begin his training program almost from scratch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in weakened
to diminish the physical strength of
three weeks of being sick in bed had noticeably softened her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tempered
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 softened
Lizzy Briskin, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 May 2026
An excessive need for approval leads to softened feedback, inconsistent standards, and avoided difficult conversations, eroding accountability.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
Top with the Maple Cream Cheese Frosting made with softened butter, cream cheese, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 18 May 2026
Once shimmering, add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and slightly translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2026
Due to their softened texture, the bones are generally safe, but there are exceptions.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 21 Apr. 2026
The ground beef was chopped fine on the grill and folded together with sweet, softened onions and perfectly melted American cheese, all tucked into a soft roll with crisp lettuce and tomato for balance.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2026
Room-temperature eggs, along with softened butter and cream cheese, blend more smoothly, helping the batter emulsify and bake evenly.
—Inés Anguiano, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Mar. 2026
After cooking, the Sam's offering fell flat with softened cups of pepper that held their shape just well enough to become little swimming pools of exuded moisture.
—Paul Stephen, San Antonio Express-News, 11 Mar. 2026
Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 3 June 2026
Officials softened the course so much for the final day that Tommy Fleetwood shot 63.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
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
Reports suggest OpenAI's financials are comparatively weaker and that secondary market demand for its shares has softened—while competition for Anthropic secondary shares has been described as fierce.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 2 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
Add apples and garlic; cook and stir until sausages are browned and apples are softened, 2 to 3 minutes more.
—Jessica Saari Christensen, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2026
Mills has bad news, though, for superfans like myself who were hoping that the band’s embrace of the tribute project has at all softened his uncompromised reunion stance.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 28 May 2026
Add the turkey and onion, and cook, stirring and breaking up the turkey into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the turkey is no longer pink and the onions have softened, about 5 minutes.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 May 2026
Adjective
This unique pie is made from a giant sugar cookie topped with softened cream cheese and a beautiful array of fresh fruits.
—Lizzy Briskin, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 May 2026
An excessive need for approval leads to softened feedback, inconsistent standards, and avoided difficult conversations, eroding accountability.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
Top with the Maple Cream Cheese Frosting made with softened butter, cream cheese, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 18 May 2026
Once shimmering, add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and slightly translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2026
Due to their softened texture, the bones are generally safe, but there are exceptions.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 21 Apr. 2026
The ground beef was chopped fine on the grill and folded together with sweet, softened onions and perfectly melted American cheese, all tucked into a soft roll with crisp lettuce and tomato for balance.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2026
Room-temperature eggs, along with softened butter and cream cheese, blend more smoothly, helping the batter emulsify and bake evenly.
—Inés Anguiano, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Mar. 2026
After cooking, the Sam's offering fell flat with softened cups of pepper that held their shape just well enough to become little swimming pools of exuded moisture.
—Paul Stephen, San Antonio Express-News, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
These were not tacos reverse-engineered for a white-tablecloth audience or softened for white palates.
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 3 June 2026
Officials softened the course so much for the final day that Tommy Fleetwood shot 63.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
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
Reports suggest OpenAI's financials are comparatively weaker and that secondary market demand for its shares has softened—while competition for Anthropic secondary shares has been described as fierce.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 2 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
Add apples and garlic; cook and stir until sausages are browned and apples are softened, 2 to 3 minutes more.
—Jessica Saari Christensen, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2026
Mills has bad news, though, for superfans like myself who were hoping that the band’s embrace of the tribute project has at all softened his uncompromised reunion stance.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 28 May 2026
Add the turkey and onion, and cook, stirring and breaking up the turkey into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the turkey is no longer pink and the onions have softened, about 5 minutes.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for softened
Adjective
-
As the story goes, attendance was weak, the weather was bad, and the tournament experience was just lacking.—
James Burky,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
-
As many as 40 states combine one-party control with institutional barriers weak enough to fall to political pressure.—
Bruce Sibley,
Time,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Remsing, meanwhile, said that commodity-sensitive currencies like the Norwegian krone, Australian dollar and Brazilian real have also trended strongly as the de-dollarization theme petered out and the euro was weakened by the war.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
-
That's because some jurisdictions weakened their public health authorities in response to criticism of lockdowns, school closures, mask mandates, vaccine requirements and other COVID-era restrictions.—
Rob Stein,
NPR,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Rock People were a feeble attempt to cash in on the shapeshifting craze, as Stonedar, Rokkon, and Granita (the latter never immortalized as an action figure) could turn themselves into… er, meteors.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
4 June 2026
-
The manner the ball traveled from Maradona suggested a feebler contact than a pure header.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
The city has fallen back on multiple tax measures to draw more money, though spending cuts have also alleviated — for now — yearly deficits in the General Purpose Fund budget, which pays for most salaries and daily operations.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
-
In exclusive interview with USA TODAY, Kevin Brosseau says the US-Canada effort has alleviated the fentanyl crisis but that nitazenes and others pose a threat.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Early on in his first five, six starts, there were a lot of balls in play, obviously some soft contact, balls at guys.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
-
This mini dress is made from lightweight fabric that feels soft against the skin and has a breezy silhouette that keeps it from clinging.—
Emily Weaver,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
That transfusion risk can be mitigated by irradiation, but not all facilities, especially smaller hospitals, have irradiators on site.—
Torie Bosch,
STAT,
1 June 2026
-
While a yellow placard signals two or more major violations, these are typically corrected or mitigated during the inspection, according to the Sacramento County Retail Food Inspection Guide.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
May 29,
Sacbee.com,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Getting that exemption will be more difficult than most people had expected, meaning that more sick and disabled people are likely to lose their Medicaid coverage.—
Tara Bannow,
STAT,
3 June 2026
-
There are special additional rules for households with elderly or disabled members.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Commitment to the greater good buffered the AI aversion.—
Melissa A. Wheeler,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
-
Multiple security checkpoints buffered the site from the street, and officers from both agencies maintained a heavy presence throughout the groundbreaking ceremony.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Softened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/softened. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
