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?
Music has charms to soothe the savage breast To soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.
There are women that produce mucus of a thick viscus quality, and it sticks and lodges in there. The fallopian tube at the uterine end is very narrow and it gets blocked in there, so it’s quite easy to imagine that a course of physical therapy is going to soften this up, dislodge it and clear Clear Passage.
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.
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.
Music hath charms to soothe a savage breast, To soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.N.B. This quote is commonly misquoted as savage beast.
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, 2023. Web. 1 Dec. 2023. <https://www.synonyms.com/synonym/soften>.
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