What are some opposite words for soften?
Antonyms for soften
ˈsɔ fən, ˈsɒf ənsoft·en
This page is about all possible antonyms and opposite words for the term 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.
Antonyms:
aggravate, augment, embitter, enhance, heighten, increase, intensify, magnify, make worseSynonyms:
abate, alleviate, assuage, lessen, lighten, mitigate, moderate, reduce, relieve, remove
Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms
Matched Categories
Princeton's WordNet
softenverb
make (images or sounds) soft or softer
Antonyms:
harden, indurate, sharpenSynonyms:
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"
Antonyms:
harden, indurate, sharpenSynonyms:
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
Antonyms:
harden, indurate, sharpenSynonyms:
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"
Antonyms:
sharpen, harden, indurateSynonyms:
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"
Antonyms:
sharpen, harden, indurateSynonyms:
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"
Antonyms:
harden, indurate, sharpenSynonyms:
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"
Antonyms:
harden, indurate, sharpenSynonyms:
relent, buffer, yield, moderate, cushion, mince, break, damp, weaken, dampen
Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words
How to use soften in a sentence?
The world is well stocked with oil and can stomach short disruptions, while large U.S. shale production should soften its impact.
We think overall growth will soften more into 2016, in such a setting we expect more incremental monetary and fiscal measures.
While that does soften the blow of the rising prices you can see how consumers, looking at how crude prices are dropping, feel frustrated at the higher prices for gasoline.
Music has charms to soothe the savage breast To soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.
Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.
Translation
Find a translation for this antonym in other languages:
Select another language:
- - Select -
- 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
- 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
- Español (Spanish)
- Esperanto (Esperanto)
- 日本語 (Japanese)
- Português (Portuguese)
- Deutsch (German)
- العربية (Arabic)
- Français (French)
- Русский (Russian)
- ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
- 한국어 (Korean)
- עברית (Hebrew)
- Gaeilge (Irish)
- Українська (Ukrainian)
- اردو (Urdu)
- Magyar (Hungarian)
- मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
- Indonesia (Indonesian)
- Italiano (Italian)
- தமிழ் (Tamil)
- Türkçe (Turkish)
- తెలుగు (Telugu)
- ภาษาไทย (Thai)
- Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
- Čeština (Czech)
- Polski (Polish)
- Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
- Românește (Romanian)
- Nederlands (Dutch)
- Ελληνικά (Greek)
- Latinum (Latin)
- Svenska (Swedish)
- Dansk (Danish)
- Suomi (Finnish)
- فارسی (Persian)
- ייִדיש (Yiddish)
- հայերեն (Armenian)
- Norsk (Norwegian)
- English (English)
Citation
Use the citation below to add these synonyms to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"soften." Synonyms.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 Apr. 2024. <https://www.synonyms.com/antonyms/soften>.
Discuss these soften antonyms with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In