soften

verb

soft·​en ˈsȯ-fən How to pronounce soften (audio)
softened; softening ˈsȯ-fə-niŋ How to pronounce soften (audio)
ˈsȯf-niŋ

transitive verb

1
: to make soft or softer
2
a
: to weaken the military resistance or the morale of especially by harassment (such as preliminary bombardment)
often used with up
b
: to impair the strength or resistance of
often used with up
soften up a sales prospect

intransitive verb

: to become soft or softer
her face softened
softener
ˈsȯ-fə-nər How to pronounce soften (audio)
ˈsȯf-nər
noun

Examples of soften in a Sentence

The butter will soften if left on the counter overnight. The recipe called for one stick of butter, softened. The oil is used to soften and preserve the leather. The lotion softens dry skin. The company has softened its stance on dating in the workplace. Her face softened when he entered the room. His criticism of the president has softened in the past year. The grass softened my fall.
Recent Examples on the Web And many in ballet are becoming more open to that kind of softening. Margaret Fuhrer, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2024 This scrumptious dessert features layers of fluffy vanilla pudding and softened graham crackers tucked under a canopy of fudgy chocolate ganache. Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 14 Mar. 2024 In addition to peeling layers of dry skin, the mask also effectively softened calluses for a smoother surface. Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024 In other words, a softening metaphor gets investors to under-react to the bad news. Sam Dean, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 And while goods prices generally have been softening, some costs rose unexpectedly last month. Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2024 Cook over medium heat until the tomatoes soften and begin to release their juices, 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lynda Balslev, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024 If the Barbie doll heats up, the plastic can soften and become misshapen. Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 9 Mar. 2024 Lightly season with salt and saute until the vegetables begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Lynda Balslev, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'soften.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of soften was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near soften

Cite this Entry

“Soften.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soften. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

soften

verb
soft·​en ˈsȯ-fən How to pronounce soften (audio)
softened; softening ˈsȯf-(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce soften (audio)
1
: to make or become soft or softer
2
: to lessen the strength of
softener noun

More from Merriam-Webster on soften

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!