soften

verb soft·en \ ˈsȯ-fən \

Updated on: 7 Dec 2017

Definition of soften

softened; softening play \ˈsȯ-fə-niŋ, ˈsȯf-niŋ\

transitive verb

1 : to make soft or softer

2 a : to weaken the military resistance or the morale of especially by harassment (such as preliminary bombardment) —often used with up

b : to impair the strength or resistance of —often used with up

soften up a sales prospect

intransitive verb

: to become soft or softer

her face softened

—

softener

play \ˈsȯ-fə-nər, ˈsȯf-nər\ noun

See soften defined for English-language learners

See soften defined for kids

Examples of soften in a Sentence

The butter will soften if left on the counter overnight.
The recipe called for one stick of butter, softened.
The oil is used to soften and preserve the leather.
The lotion softens dry skin.
The company has softened its stance on dating in the workplace.
Her face softened when he entered the room.
His criticism of the president has softened in the past year.
The grass softened my fall.

Recent Examples of soften from the Web

The slug-like animals are a staple part of the indigenous community’s diet, usually cooked by boiling them whole to soften the chewy flesh, then sometimes pan fried.

— lorraine boissoneault, Smithsonian, "Is the Mysterious Sea Cucumber Slipping Out of Our Grasp?," 4 Nov. 2017
The trick is to first squeeze as much liquid out of the kimchi as possible — save the juice to add back in later — then sauté the kimchi in butter to soften the funk.

— kim sunée, Alaska Dispatch News, "Bacon mac and cheese gets a Korean twist," 3 Nov. 2017
With its decision, the Biloxi school district has capitulated to demands to soften education, to remove any pain or discomfort.

— philip h. devoe, National Review, "To Kill a Mockingbird," 21 Oct. 2017
Let sit 15 minutes to allow shallots to soften slightly.

— andy baraghani, Bon Appetit, "Roasted Beets with Grapefruit and Rosemary," 17 Oct. 2017
But as more outlets competed for viewers’ attention, Today started to soften its news content, opting for human-interest stories and cooking how-tos.

— sarah ellison, The Hive, "Megyn Kelly, Matt Lauer, and the Battle for the Future of NBC," 14 Oct. 2017
The ceiling was removed to expose the duct work and give the space kind of an industrial look that is softened by warm wood accents and the large display of comfortable seating and beds.

— karen brainard, Ramona Sentinel, "Spotlight on Business: Knight’s Mattress and Furniture ready to furnish homes," 12 Oct. 2017
To soften prominent neck bands, Anolik also injects Botox along the vertical muscles of the neck to create a smoother look.

— emily dudding, Harper's BAZAAR, "The New No-Knife Necklifts To Know," 4 Mar. 2016
Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

— carla hall, Redbook, "Carla Hall's Ultimate Comfort Soup," 25 Feb. 2014

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'soften.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.