Synonyms for soften
ˈsɔ fən, ˈsɒf ənsoft·en

English Synonyms and Antonyms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

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.

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

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

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. soften

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

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

Princeton's WordNet(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. softenverb

   make (images or sounds) soft or softer

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

   Antonyms:
   harden, indurate, sharpen

2. dampen, 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, sabotage

   Antonyms:
   harden, indurate, sharpen

3. yield, 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, break

   Antonyms:
   harden, indurate, sharpen

4. cushion, buffer, softenverb

   protect from impact

   "cushion the blow"

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

   Antonyms:
   sharpen, harden, indurate

5. mince, 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, contain

   Antonyms:
   sharpen, harden, indurate

6. softenverb

   make soft or softer

   "This liquid will soften your laundry"

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

   Antonyms:
   harden, indurate, sharpen

7. softenverb

   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

   Antonyms:
   harden, indurate, sharpen

Matched Categories

1. • Change
   • Change Intensity
   • Deaden
   • Modify

Dictionary of English Synonymes(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. softenverb

   Synonyms:
   intenerate, melt, touch, make tender, make soft

2. softenverb

   Synonyms:
   assuage, appease, mitigate, moderate, alleviate, soothe, mollify, quiet, calm, still, quell, allay, relieve, ease, abate, temper, qualify, attemper, dull, lessen, blunt

3. softenverb

   Synonyms:
   grow soft

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. softenverb

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

PPDB, the paraphrase database(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these paraphrases:

1. List of paraphrases for "soften":

   mitigate, sweeten, alleviate, ease, relax, cushion

How to pronounce soften?

How to say soften in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use soften in a sentence?

1. William Congreve:

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

2. Charles Krauthammer:

   He's revealing who he is. This isn't some gaffe or accident, he had ample opportunity over the weekend to retract, to soften, to move away. Instead, he doubled down.

3. 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.

4. Renae A. Sauter:

   The practice of gratitude can soften a difficult situation

5. Daniel Silver:

   The link between sentiment and spending is not especially tight, but the recent decline in consumer sentiment could be a sign that the spending data will soften soon.