Soften

/ˈsɒfən/ · verb

Meaning

(transitive) To make something soft or softer..

Definitions by Sense

1. (transitive) To make something soft or softer.
2. (transitive) To undermine the morale of someone (often soften up).
3. (transitive) To make less harsh.
4. (intransitive) To become soft or softer.
5. (ambitransitive, phonology) To become or make (a consonant) more lenis, to lenite.
6. (Slavic phonology) To palatalize.

Example Sentences

Soften the butter before beating in the sugar.

Before the invasion, we softened up the enemy with the artillery.

Having second thoughts, I softened my criticism.

I have recently reclad the south-west facing side of my single-storey cottage […]. I now want to plant some climbers of more manageable proportions to soften the building.

The butter softened as it warmed up.

Synonyms for soften

Antonyms for soften

Related Words

Word Forms

• softens
• softening
• softened

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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