SOFTEN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does soften mean? 

• SOFTEN (verb)
  The verb SOFTEN has 7 senses:

1. make (images or sounds) soft or softer

2. lessen in force or effect

3. give in, as to influence or pressure

4. protect from impact

5. make less severe or harsh

6. make soft or softer

7. become soft or softer

  Familiarity information: SOFTEN used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SOFTEN (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they soften    ... he / she / it softens   
Past simple: softened   
Past participle: softened   
-ing form: softening   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make (images or sounds) soft or softer

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Hypernyms (to "soften" is one way to...):

change intensity (increase or decrease in intensity)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "soften"):

damp; dampen; dull; muffle; mute; tone down (deaden (a sound or noise), especially by wrapping)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Antonym:

sharpen (make (images or sounds) sharp or sharper)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Lessen in force or effect

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

break; damp; dampen; soften; weaken

Context example:

break a fall

Hypernyms (to "soften" is one way to...):

blunt; deaden (make less lively, intense, or vigorous; impair in vigor, force, activity, or sensation)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "soften"):

deafen (make soundproof)

damp; dampen; deaden (make vague or obscure or make (an image) less visible)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Give in, as to influence or pressure

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

relent; soften; yield

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "soften"):

truckle (yield to out of weakness)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Sentence example:

Sam and Sue soften

Sense 4

Meaning:

Protect from impact

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

buffer; cushion; soften

Context example:

cushion the blow

Hypernyms (to "soften" is one way to...):

modify (make less severe or harsh or extreme)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sense 5

Meaning:

Make less severe or harsh

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

mince; moderate; soften

Context example:

He moderated his tone when the students burst out in tears

Hypernyms (to "soften" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 6

Meaning:

Make soft or softer

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

This liquid will soften your laundry

Hypernyms (to "soften" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Cause:

soften (become soft or softer)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "soften"):

mellow (soften, make mellow)

mollify (make less rigid or softer)

macerate (soften, usually by steeping in liquid, and cause to disintegrate as a result)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Antonym:

harden (make hard or harder)

Derivation:

softener (a substance added to another to make it less hard)

softening (the process of becoming softer)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Become soft or softer

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

The bread will soften if you pour some liquid on it

Hypernyms (to "soften" is one way to...):

change (undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "soften"):

mellow (make or grow (more) mellow)

macerate (become soft or separate and disintegrate as a result of excessive soaking)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Antonym:

harden (become hard or harder)

Derivation:

softening (the process of becoming softer)

 Context examples 

She was soon more softened and sorrowful.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

Oleagenous substances used topically to soothe, soften or protect skin or mucous membranes.

(Emollient, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

As a result, it softens the stool.

(Docusate Calcium, NCI Thesaurus)

Necrosis and softening of the white matter around the ventricles in the brain associated with cystic changes.

(Cystic Periventricular Leukomalacia, NCI Thesaurus)

The resulting increased amounts of intestinal fluid soften the stool, increase motility, and improve bowel movements.

(Lubiprostone, NCI Thesaurus)

A usually congenital abnormality characterized by softening of the laryngeal cartilage.

(Laryngomalacia, NCI Thesaurus)

This was continued for a few moments; then it softened into a glad surprise, and from the lips came a sigh of relief.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Bitter and truculent when excited, I spoke as I felt, without reserve or softening.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

“I can never get them clean again,” she wailed, “nor soften the weather-beat.”

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Jo's angles are much softened, she has learned to carry herself with ease, if not grace.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)