Synonyms for soften
ˈsɔ fən, ˈsɒf ən

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

1. soften(verb)

   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, break(verb)

   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, soften(verb)

   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, soften(verb)

   protect from impact

   "cushion the blow"

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

   Antonyms:
   sharpen, harden, indurate

5. mince, soften, moderate(verb)

   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. soften(verb)

   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. soften(verb)

   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

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

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

1. soften(v. a.)

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

2. soften(v. a.)

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

3. soften(v. n.)

   Synonyms:
   grow soft

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

1. soften(v)

   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 synonyms:

1. List of paraphrases:

   mitigate, sweeten, alleviate, ease, relax, cushion

How to pronounce soften?

Alex

US English

Daniel

British

Karen

Australian

Veena

Indian

How to say soften in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use soften in a sentence?

1. Joel Batzofin:

   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.

2. Mehmet Murat ildan:

   Sweetness! World needs sweetness! It needs a sweet child, a sweet dolphin, a sweet monkey; it needs sweet people to soften the callous hearts!

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. Le Maire:

   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.

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