soften

[Sof·ten]

To soften is to make something soft, or to become soft. A stick of butter will soften after sitting on the counter for an hour or you can soften it by squishing it with a wooden spoon.

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To make soft or more soft.

Verb
become soft or softer; "The bread will soften if you pour some liquid on it"

Verb
make soft or softer; "This liquid will soften your laundry"

Verb
lessen in force or effect; "soften a shock"; "break a fall"

Verb
make less severe or harsh; "He moderated his tone when the students burst out in tears"

Verb
protect from impact; "cushion the blow"

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Verb
make (images or sounds) soft or softer

Verb
give in, as to influence or pressure

v. t.
To make soft or more soft.

v. t.
To render less hard; -- said of matter.

v. t.
To mollify; to make less fierce or intractable.

v. t.
To palliate; to represent as less enormous; as, to soften a fault.

v. t.
To compose; to mitigate; to assuage.

v. t.
To make less harsh, less rude, less offensive, or less violent, or to render of an opposite quality.

v. t.
To make less glaring; to tone down; as, to soften the coloring of a picture.

v. t.
To make tender; to make effeminate; to enervate; as, troops softened by luxury.

v. t.
To make less harsh or grating, or of a quality the opposite; as, to soften the voice.

v. i.
To become soft or softened, or less rude, harsh, severe, or obdurate.

Soften

Sof"ten , v. t. [imp. & p. p. Softened ; p. pr. & vb. n. Softening.] To make soft or more soft. Specifically: -- (a) To render less hard; -- said of matter.

Their arrow's point they soften in the flame.

(b) To mollify; to make less fierce or intractable.

Diffidence conciliates the proud, and softens the severe.

(c) To palliate; to represent as less enormous; as, to soften a fault. (d) To compose; to mitigate; to assuage.

Music can soften pain to ease.

(e) To make calm and placid.

All that cheers or softens life.

(f) To make less harsh, less rude, less offensive, or less violent, or to render of an opposite quality.

He bore his great commision in his look, But tempered awe, and softened all he spoke.

(g) To make less glaring; to tone down; as, to soften the coloring of a picture. (h) To make tender; to make effeminate; to enervate; as, troops softened by luxury. (i) To make less harsh or grating, or of a quality the opposite; as, to soften the voice.

Soften

Sof"ten, v. i. To become soft or softened, or less rude, harsh, severe, or obdurate.

To make soft or more soft.

To become soft or softened, or less rude, harsh, severe, or obdurate.

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Usage Examples

It is well for the world that in most of us, by the age of thirty, the character has set like plaster, and will never soften again.

Poor Georgia O'Keeffe. Death didn't soften the opinions of the art world toward her paintings.

The best way to win against the intolerable is to tolerate them, for this they have seldom dealt with. Your indulgence may soften their malice and open their eyes to more honorable ways.

Give us grace and strength to forbear and to persevere. Give us courage and gaiety and the quiet mind, spare to us our friends, soften to us our enemies.

Do not let your bachelor ways crystallize so that you can't soften them when you come to have a wife and a family of your own.

Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it.

Misspelled Form

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Other Usage Examples

I'm not a traditional politician, and I have a sense of humor. I'll try to soften it and become boring, maybe even very boring, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to.

Love is never lost. If not reciprocated, it will flow back and soften and purify the heart.

I think my mom put it best. She said, 'Little girls soften their daddy's hearts.'

Music has charms to sooth a savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.

As long as I retain my feeling and my passion for Nature, I can partly soften or subdue my other passions and resist or endure those of others.

Constructive criticism is about finding something good and positive to soften the blow to the real critique of what really went on.

I think that if your approach is one where you don't want to alienate anybody, you're going to have to soften the viewpoint or the information that you're offering to such an extent that it doesn't have the power to make any difference. You have to take that risk.