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
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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
Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2025
The latest autumnal trend, vintage prep, is all about embracing softened classics like plaid, brass, heirloom finds, vintage linens, and botanical prints.
—Lauren Jones, Southern Living, 6 Oct. 2025
Power shoulders continued their evolution, now appearing in softened yet commanding forms across tailoring, knits and leather.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2025
David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
Stir in onion and poblano and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2025
Weekly cattle and wholesale prices softened from daily highs set in late August but remained historically elevated.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
Add the onion and saute over medium heat until softened without coloring, 2 to 3 minutes.
—Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2025
Add onion, leeks and celery, and sauté until softened, mixing often.
—Judy Bart Kancigor, Oc Register, 23 Oct. 2025
The world’s second-largest brewer, Heineken, expects to sell less beer in 2025 as demand was softened by macroeconomic challenges in the third quarter.
—Chloe Taylor,tasmin Lockwood,katrina Bishop,holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2025
Then, in February, two months before Adam’s death, OpenAI further softened its remaining protections against encouraging self-harm, the complaint alleges.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2025
In a cemetery shed, the doctors performed more than three thousand autopsies, which revealed that starvation softened the bones and atrophied vital organs.
—Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
For the filling, start by spreading the crush with softened cream cheese.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2025
The latest autumnal trend, vintage prep, is all about embracing softened classics like plaid, brass, heirloom finds, vintage linens, and botanical prints.
—Lauren Jones, Southern Living, 6 Oct. 2025
Power shoulders continued their evolution, now appearing in softened yet commanding forms across tailoring, knits and leather.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
The purification method the city is using for Phase One — called indirect potable reuse — softened that image somewhat by requiring the purified water to sit in a reservoir for months.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
Stir in onion and poblano and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2025
Weekly cattle and wholesale prices softened from daily highs set in late August but remained historically elevated.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
Add the onion and saute over medium heat until softened without coloring, 2 to 3 minutes.
—Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2025
Add onion, leeks and celery, and sauté until softened, mixing often.
—Judy Bart Kancigor, Oc Register, 23 Oct. 2025
The world’s second-largest brewer, Heineken, expects to sell less beer in 2025 as demand was softened by macroeconomic challenges in the third quarter.
—Chloe Taylor,tasmin Lockwood,katrina Bishop,holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2025
Then, in February, two months before Adam’s death, OpenAI further softened its remaining protections against encouraging self-harm, the complaint alleges.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2025
In a cemetery shed, the doctors performed more than three thousand autopsies, which revealed that starvation softened the bones and atrophied vital organs.
—Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for softened
Adjective
-
Relief on that levy—which stacks on top of Liberation Day tariffs—could be a boon for the Asian nation at a time when domestic demand is weak.—
Bloomberg,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
-
There, interactions between streams of liquid iron generate a magnetic field one quintillion times more powerful than that of an ordinary lab magnet (but thousands of times weaker than the Sun’s).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
After accounting for lifestyle variables like exercise, the effects weakened a bit as, for example, more active people tend to spend more time outdoors.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Oct. 2025
-
San Francisco artificial intelligence giant OpenAI weakened its chatbots’ anti-suicide protections in the run-up to the death of teenager Adam Raine, according to new claims in a lawsuit by the boy’s parents.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Without getting into spoilers, her one-and-done appearance in Episode 5 presents the perfect opportunity for the more-than-capable Meester to match wits with Bell’s judgmental Joanna, only to strand the actor with boring, obvious jokes and saddle her with a feeble resolution.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
23 Oct. 2025
-
The feeble light from the fire wasn’t much help.—
Bill Shaber,
Outdoor Life,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has alleviated the pain of losing Durant many seasons ago by turning into the best player in the league, winning not only the NBA MVP Award last year, but also earning the honor of Finals MVP.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
-
For a while, this was alleviated by trying to help police with their investigations, corresponding with her father, and working with organizations meant to help victims of violent and high profile crimes.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The large flowers have an iridescent lavender eye and stand atop evergreen foliage that adds soft blue-green hues to the garden year-round.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
27 Oct. 2025
-
The species is a red gorgonian soft coral found along the Pacific coast from Chile to California.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Keep in mind that this spike and subsequent crash can be mitigated by pairing fruit juice with high-protein, high-fiber foods, which slow glucose release into the bloodstream, resulting in more stable blood sugar levels.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
28 Oct. 2025
-
The firm also recommended access to the whirley crane near the Riggers Loft building and Red Oak Victory Ship be immediately restricted until safety hazards from corrosion can be mitigated or the crane is removed.—
Sierra Lopez,
Mercury News,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Weekly Newsletter Audiences were asked to consider that the display of human difference was dehumanizing or even exploitative but also to understand that the sideshow represented a locus of community and a way for disabled performers to make an independent living.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Oct. 2025
-
And Marissa Bode, who plays Elphaba’s disabled sister Nessarose, confirms her character’s origin story will differ from the stage version.—
Jack Smart,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In 2025, firms buffered costs with existing contracts and inventories.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Oct. 2025
-
At the headline-index level, a modest blip, the S & P 500 down half a percent at the worst, though in part the slide is being buffered by uncharacteristic strength in some defensive groups.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Softened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/softened. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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