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soften

   Also found in: Medical, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.03 sec.
soft·en  (sôfn, sfn)
v. soft·ened, soft·en·ing, soft·ens
v.tr.
1. To make soft or softer.
2. To undermine or reduce the strength, morale, or resistance of.
3. To make less harsh, strident, or critical: softened the last paragraph of the letter.
v.intr.
To become soft or softer.

soften·er n.

soften
Verb
1. to make or become soft or softer
2. to make or become more sympathetic and less critical: the farmers softened their opposition to the legislation
3. to lessen the severity or difficulty of: foreign relief softened the hardship of a terrible winter
softener n
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Verb1.soften - make (images or sounds) soft or softer
change intensity - increase or decrease in intensity
damp, mute, tone down, muffle, dampen, dull - deaden (a sound or noise), especially by wrapping
sharpen - make (images or sounds) sharp or sharper
2.soften - lessen in force or effect; "soften a shock"; "break a fall"
blunt, deaden - make less lively, intense, or vigorous; impair in vigor, force, activity, or sensation; "Terror blunted her feelings"; "deaden a sound"
deafen - make soundproof; "deafen a room"
deaden, damp, dampen - make vague or obscure or make (an image) less visible; "muffle the message"
3.soften - give in, as to influence or pressure
truckle - yield to out of weakness
4.soften - protect from impact; "cushion the blow"
modify - make less severe or harsh or extreme; "please modify this letter to make it more polite"; "he modified his views on same-gender marriage"
5.soften - make less severe or harsh; "He moderated his tone when the students burst out in tears"
alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue"
6.soften - make soft or softer; "This liquid will soften your laundry"
alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue"
mellow - soften, make mellow; "Age and experience mellowed him over the years"
mollify - make less rigid or softer
macerate - soften, usually by steeping in liquid, and cause to disintegrate as a result; "macerate peaches"; "the gizzards macerates the food in the digestive system"
harden, indurate - make hard or harder; "The cold hardened the butter"
7.soften - become soft or softer; "The bread will soften if you pour some liquid on it"
change - undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature; "She changed completely as she grew older"; "The weather changed last night"
mellow - make or grow (more) mellow; "These apples need to mellow a bit more"; "The sun mellowed the fruit"
macerate - become soft or separate and disintegrate as a result of excessive soaking; "the tissue macerated in the water"
harden, indurate - become hard or harder; "The wax hardened"

soften
verb 1. melt, tenderize
Translations

soften [ˈsɔfn] vtablandar; suavizar
viablandarse; suavizarse
soften [ˈsɔfn] soft vt(r)amollir (fig); adoucir
vise ramollir (fig); s'adoucir
soften [ˈsɔfn] soft vtweich machen;
(effect, blow) → mildern
viweich werden;
(voice, expression) → sanfter werden
soften [ˈsɔfn] vtammorbidire; addolcire; attenuare
viammorbidirsi; addolcirsi; attenuarsi

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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
Disposed, however, as he always is to think the best of everyone, her display of grief, and professions of regret, and general resolutions of prudence, were sufficient to soften his heart and make him really confide in her sincerity; but, as for myself, I am still unconvinced, and plausibly as her ladyship has now written, I cannot make up my mind till I better understand her real meaning in coming to us.
Geppetto, though trying to look very stern, felt his eyes fill with tears and his heart soften when he saw Pinocchio so unhappy.
He did not confuse nor misrepresent the facts, nor soften them in his own interest, nor omit the smallest detail.
 
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