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
Leonora Epstein, Architectural Digest, 7 Nov. 2025
The Steamer 30—a foldable bag created in the early 1900s to fit in the travel trunks of that era—has been reimagined with a more softened, contemporary structure.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 6 Nov. 2025
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, 2 Nov. 2025
For the filling, start by spreading the crush with softened cream cheese.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 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
Amanda Stanfield, Southern Living, 8 Nov. 2025
But that’s also true of every Democrat who won on Tuesday — including Mamdani himself, who has softened some of his stances on policing including past calls to defund the NYPD and build no new jails.
—Samantha Riedel, Them., 6 Nov. 2025
Three extra years in wood has somehow softened the tannic sting that the younger bourbon brings to the palate instead of amplifying it.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 2 Nov. 2025
Following her victory on the show, Curry became critical of the program and Banks, though her opinion on the reality TV experience has softened over the years.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
While Takaichi appears to have softened her stance, this push to strengthen the yen is still at odds of with her plans for massive fiscal spending and a loose monetary policy.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2025
Light pink referenced standard awareness campaigns, but the deepening shades, culminating in black, confronted the audience with the harsh reality of metastatic disease, which is typically softened by glossy pink ribbons.
—Tabitha Britt, Flow Space, 30 Oct. 2025
How to Make Whipped Honey Butter In a small bowl combine 1/3 cup softened butter, 1/4 cup honey, and a pinch salt.
—Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Oct. 2025
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
Adjective
Her sculptural bookshelf and semicircular floor lamps possess a molten heft—their softened edges appearing raw and time-weathered.
—Leonora Epstein, Architectural Digest, 7 Nov. 2025
The Steamer 30—a foldable bag created in the early 1900s to fit in the travel trunks of that era—has been reimagined with a more softened, contemporary structure.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 6 Nov. 2025
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, 2 Nov. 2025
For the filling, start by spreading the crush with softened cream cheese.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 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
Add bell pepper, onion, scallions; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes.
—Amanda Stanfield, Southern Living, 8 Nov. 2025
But that’s also true of every Democrat who won on Tuesday — including Mamdani himself, who has softened some of his stances on policing including past calls to defund the NYPD and build no new jails.
—Samantha Riedel, Them., 6 Nov. 2025
Three extra years in wood has somehow softened the tannic sting that the younger bourbon brings to the palate instead of amplifying it.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 2 Nov. 2025
Following her victory on the show, Curry became critical of the program and Banks, though her opinion on the reality TV experience has softened over the years.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
While Takaichi appears to have softened her stance, this push to strengthen the yen is still at odds of with her plans for massive fiscal spending and a loose monetary policy.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2025
Light pink referenced standard awareness campaigns, but the deepening shades, culminating in black, confronted the audience with the harsh reality of metastatic disease, which is typically softened by glossy pink ribbons.
—Tabitha Britt, Flow Space, 30 Oct. 2025
How to Make Whipped Honey Butter In a small bowl combine 1/3 cup softened butter, 1/4 cup honey, and a pinch salt.
—Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for softened
Adjective
-
Western countries could exploit weak points in supply chains for many of Russia's advanced fighter jets, including by tightening up sanctions as Ukraine strikes Russia's industrial facilities, according to a new report.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Respiratory difficulty, constipation, poor feeding, drooping eyelids and a weak and altered cry are among the symptoms of infant botulism.—
Chad Murphy,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
With some estimates putting wave heights as much as 35 feet, weakened hatch covers would have been vulnerable to such waves.—
Stephen J. Beard,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The years of horrific violence have weakened Sudan, plunging its institutions into chaos and making its population more vulnerable and poorer.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
And honestly, what could be more feeble?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Their calculations show that a feeble interaction between the inflaton field and elementary particles called gluons would be sufficient to warm up inflation.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
27 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
-
Another noteworthy development is Arts Landing, a four-acre city park in Downtown Pittsburgh featuring public art, greenery and performance space set to soft open in April 2026.—
Natalia Senanayake,
PEOPLE,
10 Nov. 2025
-
For the white colorway, a contrasting gum sole with a soft suede toe highlights the sneaker, while the black version features a brown distressed tooling.—
Stephen Garner,
Footwear News,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Solar panels are also being installed to reduce its electricity draw on the power grid, and water usage will be mitigated with the collection and reuse of rainwater.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Menopause is not a disease but a transition and can lead to a wide range of symptoms that can be mitigated through neurologic testing and potential treatments, Mosconi says.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The show fares better with the Irvine clan, which in addition to Milo, Marissa and Peter includes Peter’s sister, Lia (Abby Elliott), a recovering drug addict, and their brother, Brian (Daniel Monks), a disabled day trader.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Many recipients are elderly, disabled, or children, groups unable to participate in the workforce.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 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 17 Nov. 2025.
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