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 Antonyms0.0 / 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.

    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 Antonyms0.0 / 0 votes

  1. soften

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

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

Princeton's WordNet0.0 / 0 votes

  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

Dictionary of English Synonymes0.0 / 0 votes

  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 Words0.0 / 0 votes

  1. softenverb

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

PPDB, the paraphrase database0.0 / 0 votes

  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

rankingword
#123go
#207part
#272check
#333control
#357return
#495better
#555give
#599pay
#1038stop
#1176lead
#1275hold
#1482develop
#1618break
#1651remove
#1732grant
#1763die
#1990chair
#2036reduce
#2228separate
#2490bear
#2636fail
#2664wear
#2700contain
#2995discover
#3684split
#3965generate
#4224crack
#4373buffer
#4557yield
#4819ease
#5204wash
#5420moderate
#5672founder
#6020afford
#6781relax
#7052collapse
#7124reveal
#9001breach
#9419disclose
#9759render
#9876burst
#9954unwrap
#10588bump
#10611pause
#10713bust
#11623interrupt
#12366expose
#12446cushion
#12551curb
#12746violate
#13293dull
#13346smash
#13778relieve
#14164ruin
#14595fracture
#15923mute
#16080compose
#17827undermine
#18220damp
#18285mitigate
#19215temper
#19755alleviate
#21898bankrupt
#22808discontinue
#22879tame
#23039offend
#25048lessen
#25411weaken
#26077sabotage
#30385soften
#31636concede
#31814lighten
#36830counteract
#40873abate
#42688divulge
#43067stifle
#47047succumb
#50453mince
#51445dampen
#51579subvert
#53129erupt
#66067cede
#69750sweeten
#87201moisten
#89527assuage
#98708transgress
#108826demote
#109022relent
#109510relegate
#115405muffle
#129350humanize
#158158deaden
#159338mollify
#241864palliate
#243923lenity
#246567chasten
#318728intermit

How to use soften in a sentence?

  1. William Congreve:

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

  2. Mutsumi Kagawa:

    The economy is softening and will soften for now. But whether the U.S. is entering a recession is still debatable, lower bond yields will support the economy while (U.S. President Donald) Trump is likely to take steps to support the economy as he seeks re-election. The economy could pick up later this year.

  3. Michele Evermore:

    Workers are just going to see this and consider it an order and not challenge it, getting states to walk back this messaging is a little bit like closing the barn door after the horse is out. Once people have heard from the governor you have to go back to work, and then they issue on their website somewhere FAQs [ frequently asked questions ] that slightly soften that, does that reverse the initial damage ? I don't think so.

  4. Nathaniel Jeanson:

    It may soften the antagonism on the part of the evolutionary community.

  5. William Congreve, The Mourning Bride, Act 1 Scene 1:

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


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. 18 Mar. 2024. <https://www.synonyms.com/synonym/soften>.

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