soften

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   To make something soft or softer.

   • Soften the butter before beating in the sugar.
2. 2

   To undermine the morale of someone (often soften up).

   • Before the invasion, we softened up the enemy with the artillery.
3. 3

   To make less harsh.

   • Having second thoughts, I softened my criticism.
   • I have recently reclad the south-west facing side of my single-storey cottage […]. I now want to plant some climbers of more manageable proportions to soften the building.
4. ›+ 3 more definitionsshow fewer

   1. 4

      To become soft or softer.

      • The butter softened as it warmed up.
   2. 5

      To become or make (a consonant) more lenis, to lenite.

   3. 6

      To palatalize.

The neighborhood

• synonymemolliate
• synonymmollify
• synonymsoften
• synonymtenderize
• antonymharden
• neighbormollify
• neighborneshen
• neighborsoftness
• neighborsoft
• neighbormelt
• neighborthaw
• neighborsloom