Antonyms for soften
ˈsɔ fən, ˈsɒf ənsoft·en

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. 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.

   Antonyms:
   aggravate, augment, embitter, enhance, heighten, increase, intensify, magnify, make worse

   Synonyms:
   abate, alleviate, assuage, lessen, lighten, mitigate, moderate, reduce, relieve, remove

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. soften

   Antonyms:
   harden, indurate, aggravate, excite, infuriate, consolidate

   Synonyms:
   mollify, palliate, compose, mitigate, assuage, dulcify, lenity, yield, macerate, humanize, abate, moderate

Matched Categories

1. • Change
   • Change Intensity
   • Deaden
   • Modify

Princeton's WordNetRate these antonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. softenverb

   make (images or sounds) soft or softer

   Antonyms:
   harden, indurate, sharpen

   Synonyms:
   relent, buffer, yield, moderate, cushion, mince, break, damp, weaken, dampen

2. dampen, damp, soften, weaken, breakverb

   lessen in force or effect

   "soften a shock"; "break a fall"

   Antonyms:
   harden, indurate, sharpen

   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, sabotage

3. yield, relent, softenverb

   give in, as to influence or pressure

   Antonyms:
   harden, indurate, sharpen

   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, break

4. cushion, buffer, softenverb

   protect from impact

   "cushion the blow"

   Antonyms:
   sharpen, harden, indurate

   Synonyms:
   relent, buffer, yield, moderate, cushion, mince, break, damp, weaken, dampen

5. mince, soften, moderateverb

   make less severe or harsh

   "He moderated his tone when the students burst out in tears"

   Antonyms:
   sharpen, harden, indurate

   Synonyms:
   lead, temper, curb, mince, hold in, tame, relent, control, moderate, hold, cushion, check, break, weaken, tone down, yield, buffer, damp, dampen, chasten, chair, contain

6. softenverb

   make soft or softer

   "This liquid will soften your laundry"

   Antonyms:
   harden, indurate, sharpen

   Synonyms:
   relent, buffer, yield, moderate, cushion, mince, break, damp, weaken, dampen

7. softenverb

   become soft or softer

   "The bread will soften if you pour some liquid on it"

   Antonyms:
   harden, indurate, sharpen

   Synonyms:
   relent, buffer, yield, moderate, cushion, mince, break, damp, weaken, dampen

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. softenverb

   Synonyms:
   intenerate, mollify, palliate, extenuate, qualify, modify, relax, mitigate, emolliate, appease, temper, abate, subdue, tone down

How to use soften in a sentence?

1. Ken Hasegawa:

   Oil prices may soften if there is an increase in stocks in the U.S. - we can expect a continued increase of inventories, brent and WTI continue to trend sideways, with WTI facing more volatility. Brent has been descending for the past few days and we believe that it is hovering near a support level.

2. William Congreve:

   Music has charms to soothe the savage breast To soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.

3. Barbara Paley:

   In all things preserve integrity; and the consciousness of thine own uprightness will alleviate the toil of business, soften the hardness of ill-success and disappointments, and give thee an humble confidence before God, when the ingratitude of man, or the iniquity of the times may rob thee of other rewards.

4. Governor Elvira Nabiullina:

   We will maintain high interest rates to achieve the goal of 4 percent (inflation) if budget consolidation isn't carried out in a way that enables us to soften monetary policy.

5. David Kelly:

   The question is are authorities doing all that they can to soften the blow of the social distancing recession?, i don't think we're there yet...There's going to be a lot of human misery out there.

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