soften
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soft·en
(sô′fən, sŏf′ən)v. soft·ened, soft·en·ing, soft·ens
v.tr.
1. To make soft or softer.
2. To undermine or reduce the strength, morale, or resistance of.
3. To make less harsh, strident, or critical: softened the last paragraph of the letter.
v.intr.
To become soft or softer.
soft′en·er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
soften
(ˈsɒfən)vb
1. to make or become soft or softer
2. to make or become gentler
3. (Commerce) (intr) commerce
a. (of demand, a market, etc) to weaken
b. (of a price) to fall
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
soft•en
(ˈsɔ fən, ˈsɒf ən)v.t.
1. to make soft or softer.
v.i. 2. to become soft or softer.
[1325–75]
soft′en•er, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
soften
- emollient, emolliate - Emollient is from Latin emolliere, "to soften"; to emolliate is to soften or make effeminate.
- macerate - Meaning "to soften," it comes from Greek massein, "knead."
- lenify, lenity - To lenify is to alleviate or soothe an emotion or suffering, from Latin lenire, "soften"; lenity means kindness or gentleness.
- amalgamate - Seems to go back to Greek malagma, "softening."
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
soften
Past participle: softened
Gerund: softening
| Imperative |
|---|
| soften |
| soften |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Verb | 1. | soften - make (images or sounds) soft or softer change intensity - increase or decrease in intensity sharpen - make (images or sounds) sharp or sharper |
| 2. | soften - lessen in force or effect; "soften a shock"; "break a fall" blunt, deaden - make less lively, intense, or vigorous; impair in vigor, force, activity, or sensation; "Terror blunted her feelings"; "deaden a sound" deafen - make soundproof; "deafen a room" | |
| 3. | soften - give in, as to influence or pressure truckle - yield to out of weakness | |
| 4. | soften - protect from impact; "cushion the blow" modify - make less severe or harsh or extreme; "please modify this letter to make it more polite"; "he modified his views on same-gender marriage" | |
| 5. | soften - make less severe or harsh; "He moderated his tone when the students burst out in tears" | |
| 6. | soften - make soft or softer; "This liquid will soften your laundry" alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue" mellow - soften, make mellow; "Age and experience mellowed him over the years" mollify - make less rigid or softer macerate - soften, usually by steeping in liquid, and cause to disintegrate as a result; "macerate peaches"; "the gizzards macerates the food in the digestive system" | |
| 7. | soften - become soft or softer; "The bread will soften if you pour some liquid on it" change - undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature; "She changed completely as she grew older"; "The weather changed last night" mellow - make or grow (more) mellow; "These apples need to mellow a bit more"; "The sun mellowed the fruit" macerate - become soft or separate and disintegrate as a result of excessive soaking; "the tissue macerated in the water" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
soften
verb
soften someone up win over, weaken, disarm, soft-soap (informal), work on, melt, conciliate If they'd treated you well it was only to soften you up.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
soften
verb1. To moderate or change a position or course of action as a result of pressure:
Idiom: give way.
2. To make or become less severe or extreme:
3. To ease the anger or agitation of:
appease, assuage, calm (down), conciliate, dulcify, gentle, mollify, pacify, placate, propitiate, soothe, sweeten.
Idiom: pour oil on troubled water.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يُنَعِّم، يُخَفِّف حِدَّة
tlumit
blødgøreblødgøresdæmpe
lágyítmeglágyít
mÿkja, milda
tlmiť sa
mehčati
yumuşa mak
soften
[ˈsɒfn]A. VT
1. (= make less hard) [+ butter, ground, metal, leather, water] → ablandar
2. (= make smooth) [+ fabric, skin, hair] → suavizar
3. (= make gentle) [+ sound, outline] → suavizar; [+ lights, lighting] → hacer más tenue; [+ person] → ablandar
4. (= mitigate) [+ effect, reaction] → mitigar, atenuar
to soften the blow (fig) → amortiguar el golpe
to soften the blow (fig) → amortiguar el golpe
B. VI
1. (= become less hard) [butter, ground, metal] → ablandarse
2. (= become smooth) [fabric, skin, hair] → suavizarse
soften up
A. VT + ADV [+ resistance] → debilitar
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
soften
[ˈsɒfən] vt
(= make less hard or rough) [+ onions, butter] → faire ramollir, ramollir; [+ ground] → ramollir; [+ fabric, leather, skin] → assouplir
(= make less bright) [+ light, colour] → adoucir
(= make more gentle) [+ tone, voice, expression] → adoucir
(= make less severe) [+ impact, shock] → atténuer
vi
(= become less hard or rough) [skin, leather] → s'assouplir; [onions, butter, ice-cream] → ramollir
I'm waiting for the ice-cream to soften → J'attends que la glace ramollisse.
I'm waiting for the ice-cream to soften → J'attends que la glace ramollisse.
(= become less bright) [light, colour] → s'adoucir
(= become more gentle) [voice, expression] → s'adoucir
(= become more sympathetic) [attitude, position] → s'assouplir; [character, face] → s'adoucir
His mother's face softened a little → Le visage de sa mère s'adoucit un peu.
His mother's face softened a little → Le visage de sa mère s'adoucit un peu.
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
soften
vt → weich machen; water also → enthärten; light, sound, colour → dämpfen; effect, sb’s anger, reaction, impression, tone → mildern; outline → weicher machen; image → weich zeichnen; voice → sanfter machen; resistance, opposition, sb’s position, stance → schwächen; demands, impact → abschwächen
vi (material, person, heart) → weich werden; (voice, look) → sanft werden; (anger, resistance) → nachlassen; (outlines) → weicher werden
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
soften
[ˈsɒfn]1. vt (gen) → ammorbidire; (light) → attenuare; (sound, impression) → attutire; (colour, anger) → smorzare; (resistance) → fiaccare; (person, weaken) → addolcire
he became softened by luxurious living → vivendo nel lusso si è rammollito
to soften the blow (fig) → attutire il colpo
he became softened by luxurious living → vivendo nel lusso si è rammollito
to soften the blow (fig) → attutire il colpo
2. vi (see vt) → ammorbidirsi, attenuarsi, attutirsi, smorzarsi, fiaccarsi; (person, character) → addolcirsi
her heart softened → si intenerì
her heart softened → si intenerì
soften up vt + adv (fam) to soften sb up → ammorbidire qn
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
soft
(soft) adjective1. not hard or firm; easily changing shape when pressed. a soft cushion.
2. pleasantly smooth to the touch. The dog has a soft, silky coat.
3. not loud. a soft voice.
4. (of colour) not bright or harsh. a soft pink.
5. not strict (enough). You are too soft with him.
6. (of a drink) not alcoholic. At the party they were serving soft drinks as well as wine and spirits.
7. childishly weak, timid or silly. Don't be so soft – the dog won't hurt you.
ˈsoftly adverbˈsoftness noun
soften (ˈsofn) verb
to make or become soft or softer, less strong or less painful. The thick walls softened the noise of the explosion.
ˌsoft-ˈboiled adjective (of eggs) slightly boiled, so that the yolk is still soft. She likes her eggs soft-boiled.
ˌsoft-ˈhearted adjective kind-hearted and generous. He had been given some money by a soft-hearted aunt.
ˌsoft-ˈspoken adjective having a gentle voice or manner. She was a soft-spoken woman with a shy smile.
ˈsoftware noun computer programs, as opposed to the machines themselves (ˈhardware).
ˈsoftwood noun, adjective (of) the wood of a conebearing tree eg a pine. softwood furniture.
have a soft spot for to have a weakness for (someone or something) because of great affection. He's always had a soft spot for his youngest son.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
soften
vt. ablandar, suavizar.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
soften
vt (make less hard) ablandar, (make smoother) suavizarEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.