What is another word for soften?
Synonyms for soften
ˈsɔ fən, ˈsɒf ənsoft·en
This thesaurus page includes all potential synonyms, words with the same meaning and similar terms for the word soften.
English Synonyms and Antonyms
soften
Etymologically, to alleviate is to lift a burden toward oneself, and so lighten it for the bearer; to relieve is to lift it back from the bearer, nearly or quite away; to remove is to take it away altogether. Alleviate is thus less than relieve; relieve, ordinarily, less than remove. We alleviate, relieve or remove the trouble; we relieve, not alleviate, the sufferer. Assuage is, by derivation, to sweeten; mitigate, to make mild; moderate, to bring within measure; abate, to beat down, and so make less. We abate a fever; lessen anxiety; moderate passions or desires; lighten burdens; mitigate or alleviate pain; reduce inflammation; soften, assuage, or moderate grief; we lighten or mitigate punishments; we relieve any suffering of body or mind that admits of help, comfort, or remedy. Alleviate has been often confused with allay. Compare ALLAY.
Synonyms:
abate, alleviate, assuage, lessen, lighten, mitigate, moderate, reduce, relieve, removeAntonyms:
aggravate, augment, embitter, enhance, heighten, increase, intensify, magnify, make worse
Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms
Princeton's WordNet
softenverb
make (images or sounds) soft or softer
Synonyms:
relent, buffer, yield, moderate, cushion, mince, break, damp, weaken, dampendampen, damp, soften, weaken, breakverb
lessen in force or effect
"soften a shock"; "break a fall"
Synonyms:
crack, step down, break away, give way, mince, reveal, give out, unwrap, conk out, part, wash, counteract, collapse, die, transgress, founder, weaken, discover, snap off, stop, go, demote, break out, separate, cushion, muffle, split, give away, damp, smash, dull, offend, get out, fracture, relegate, bring out, violate, pause, divulge, buffer, let on, get around, interrupt, wear out, cave in, deaden, break-dance, check, break up, breach, break in, give, split up, subvert, better, burst, go bad, break off, tone down, disclose, bust, erupt, moisten, relent, recrudesce, undermine, stifle, break dance, go against, dampen, fall in, bump, let out, ruin, fall apart, kick downstairs, de-escalate, break down, infract, fail, come apart, bankrupt, develop, mute, expose, break, moderate, discontinue, intermit, countermine, yield, wear, sabotageyield, relent, softenverb
give in, as to influence or pressure
Synonyms:
mince, render, ease up, grant, give way, pay, moderate, cushion, relent, give, buffer, weaken, afford, knuckle under, give in, cede, concede, succumb, move over, generate, return, dampen, buckle under, damp, yield, bear, breakcushion, buffer, softenverb
protect from impact
"cushion the blow"
Synonyms:
relent, buffer, yield, moderate, cushion, mince, break, damp, weaken, dampenmince, soften, moderateverb
make less severe or harsh
"He moderated his tone when the students burst out in tears"
Synonyms:
lead, temper, curb, mince, hold in, tame, relent, control, moderate, hold, cushion, check, break, weaken, tone down, yield, buffer, damp, dampen, chasten, chair, containsoftenverb
make soft or softer
"This liquid will soften your laundry"
Synonyms:
relent, buffer, yield, moderate, cushion, mince, break, damp, weaken, dampensoftenverb
become soft or softer
"The bread will soften if you pour some liquid on it"
Synonyms:
relent, buffer, yield, moderate, cushion, mince, break, damp, weaken, dampen
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How to use soften in a sentence?
Certain parts of the economy will be hit by both Brexit and coronavirus, if Boris Johnson spent government money to soften the impact in these areas, Boris Johnson might find there is less opposition than if Boris Johnson were simply spending the money to offset the impact of Brexit alone, since there is far greater unity across the political spectrum on the need for such spending to aid the recovery from Covid-19.
Chris Schwarz/Government of Alberta:
Ice-jam floods are very unpredictable and conditions can change quickly with little warning, there is no reasonable engineering solution to unlock the ice jams at this point. We have to rely on warm weather to soften the ice.
The European Recovery Fund must allow us to provide support to the aerospace industry and its 3,000 subcontractors, the emergency for me is to soften the shock, but also to keep financing innovation and investment.
There are many kinds of smiles, each having a distinct character. Some announce goodness, and sweetness, others betray sarcasm, bitterness, and pride; some soften the countenance by their languishing tenderness, others brighten by their spiritual vivacity.
The world is well stocked with oil and can stomach short disruptions, while large U.S. shale production should soften its impact.
Translations for soften
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- blødgøre, blødgøresDanish
- ablandar, ablandarse, suavizarSpanish
- adoucirFrench
- deshardeskarIdo
- ammorbidire, rendere malleabile, ammorbidirsi, rendere arrendevole, addolcireItalian
- mollisLatin
- verzachtenDutch
- bløtgjøreNorwegian
- suavizar, amolecerPortuguese
- muia, înmuiaRomanian
- размягчиться, размягчать, смягчать, смягчить, размягчаться, смягчаться, размягчить, смягчитьсяRussian
- zbutAlbanian
- mjuknaSwedish
- lumambotTagalog
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"soften." Synonyms.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 2 Jun 2024. <https://www.synonyms.com/synonym/soften>.
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