Synonyms for soften
ˈsɔ fən, ˈsɒf ənsoften

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 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 AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 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 WordNetRate these synonyms:0.0 / 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, soften, 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, soften, 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, soften, 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, soften, 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

Matched Categories

1. • Change
   • Change Intensity
   • Deaden
   • Modify

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 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 WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. softenverb

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

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 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

How to use soften in a sentence?

1. Chris Douvos:

   Fund performance will soften.

2. Michelle Meyer:

   Inventory-to-sales ratios are at historic lows, record numbers of small businesses complain of tight inventories, ports are congested, and shortages of semiconductor chips and new/used cars are driving prices higher, we expect goods inflation to soften by year end as demand levels off and production rebounds, but wages may continue to climb.

3. Michael Green:

   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.

4. Raoul Ruparel:

   Certain parts of the economy will be hit by both Brexit and coronavirus, if Boris Johnson spent government money to soften the impact in these areas, Boris Johnson might find there is less opposition than if Boris Johnson were simply spending the money to offset the impact of Brexit alone, since there is far greater unity across the political spectrum on the need for such spending to aid the recovery from Covid-19.

5. Seema Shah:

   This is a labor market on heat; nobody would have expected a number as monstrous as this, is [Fed Chair Jerome] Powell now wondering why he didn’t push back on the loosening in financial conditions? It’s difficult to see how wage pressures can possibly soften sufficiently when jobs growth is as strong as this, and it’s even more difficult to see the Fed stop raising rates and entertain ideas of rate cuts when there is such explosive economic news coming in.