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
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Recent Examples of softened
Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2025
Grease a 1 1/2 quart baking dish with softened butter.
—Mary Claire Britton, Southern Living, 27 Aug. 2025
Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 5 Oct. 2025
Roast until cheese is softened, 10 to 12 minutes.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Oct. 2025
The downside of the RSN collapse, which has impacted the NBA and MLB as well, has been softened by the fact that RSNs in Canada have remained strong.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 2 Oct. 2025
As volumes have softened, so have rates.
—Sarah Jones, Sourcing Journal, 2 Oct. 2025
Burr said the restrictions on what comedians could say had been softened by the festival after some back and forth (Burr didn’t specify with whom).
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025
Add remaining oil, green onion, garlic and ginger; cook on medium-high until softened, about 1 minute.
—Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 30 Sep. 2025
Those first days at home were softened by her mother-in-law’s steady presence.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
As earnings growth softened — and valuations didn't — foreign investors exited India in favor of other emerging markets such as China and South Korea.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Power shoulders continued their evolution, now appearing in softened yet commanding forms across tailoring, knits and leather.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2025
Grease a 1 1/2 quart baking dish with softened butter.
—Mary Claire Britton, Southern Living, 27 Aug. 2025
Verb
Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 5 Oct. 2025
Roast until cheese is softened, 10 to 12 minutes.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Oct. 2025
The downside of the RSN collapse, which has impacted the NBA and MLB as well, has been softened by the fact that RSNs in Canada have remained strong.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 2 Oct. 2025
As volumes have softened, so have rates.
—Sarah Jones, Sourcing Journal, 2 Oct. 2025
Burr said the restrictions on what comedians could say had been softened by the festival after some back and forth (Burr didn’t specify with whom).
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025
Add remaining oil, green onion, garlic and ginger; cook on medium-high until softened, about 1 minute.
—Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 30 Sep. 2025
Those first days at home were softened by her mother-in-law’s steady presence.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
As earnings growth softened — and valuations didn't — foreign investors exited India in favor of other emerging markets such as China and South Korea.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for softened
Adjective
-
Stevenson has become more intentional with his efforts to understand offensive concepts and routes and the ways opposing teams often attack his weak spots.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
But this weaker god jumped in without hesitation and was gifted the ability to become Tonatiuh, the sun.—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Panthers are weakened without starting running back Chuba Hubbard.—
Mike Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Confidence in business conditions and job availability has weakened sharply, raising concerns that the spending power underpinning corporate growth could falter.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This is a good spot for them, though, as Josh Allen will have a lot of time against a feeble Patriots pass rush, and some people might think the Patriots’ 42-13 win over the Panthers actually means something.—
Vic Tafur,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
In this scheme, free will was feeble, and sin could be blamed on dark forces inhabiting the body.—
Shai Tubali,
Big Think,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Some were skeptical that the plan alleviated national-security concerns.—
Clare Malone,
New Yorker,
20 Sep. 2025
-
That program has not alleviated concerns over postproduction deductions and, as of August, had not resolved any cases about that issue, the news organizations found.—
Jacob Orledge,
ProPublica,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Take the front row, for example, where Russell was fitted with medium tires and Verstappen was on soft tires.—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
These unique washcloths only need water to remove makeup like foundation, concealer, and blush, and are soft and gentle enough to wipe away stubborn mascara, eyeliner, and eyeshadow around the delicate eye area.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Such an action would require a national moratorium on comparable AI models until the damage is contained and the risk mitigated.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
7 Oct. 2025
-
While a yellow placard signals two or more major violations, these are typically corrected or mitigated during the inspection, according to the Sacramento County Food Inspection Guide.—
Sarah Linn,
Sacbee.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Casalaspro, a disabled NYC Department of Sanitation worker, was beheaded, the New York Post reported.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
8 Oct. 2025
-
His comments came after his cousin, Human Resources Minister Ahmad Al Rajhi, suspended parts of the social security program (largely for the elderly, disabled, and widows).—
Manal Albarakati,
semafor.com,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The operation showed that even far-reaching targets were not safe from drone attack, including the United States, a country buffered by two oceans and no significant adversary on its borders.—
Ellen Mitchell,
The Hill,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Softened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/softened. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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