soften
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
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to make or become soft or softer
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to make or become gentler
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(intr) commerce
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(of demand, a market, etc) to weaken
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(of a price) to fall
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Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have softenedperfect
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has softenedperfect 3rd person singular
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softeningparticiple
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am softeningprogressive 1st person singular
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softenssingular 3rd person
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have been softeningperfect progressive
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is softeningprogressive 3rd person singular
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are softeningprogressive
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has been softeningperfect progressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had softenedperfect
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softenedsimple
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was softeningprogressive singular
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softenedparticiple
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had been softeningperfect progressive
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were softeningprogressive plural
Future
Etymology
Origin of soften
Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; see origin at soft, -en 1
Explanation
To soften is to make something soft, or to become soft. A stick of butter will soften after sitting on the counter for an hour—or you can soften it by squishing it with a wooden spoon. You can literally soften things, the way a sculptor softens clay or you soften the skin on your hands with lotion. Turning down the sound is another way to soften something: "I'll soften the radio so it doesn't keep you awake." When you make something gentler or less severe, you also soften it, like when a lawmaker tries to soften the effect of a law by proposing a tax cut in return.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sitting there outside Thank You Coffee, I felt something in me soften.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
But Ackerman notes that long-term pricing agreements should soften the effects this time and kept an Outperform rating on Micron shares.
From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026
While convenient, these warmer conditions speed up respiration and ripening, causing fruit to soften and deteriorate more rapidly.
From Science Daily • May 23, 2026
Add shredded cabbage or whatever vegetables you have, let everything soften, and finish with a drizzle of sesame oil or chili crisp.
From Salon • May 22, 2026
Even with my bedroll to soften the stone of the doorway, I could not sleep.
From "Homeless Bird" by Gloria Whelan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
