soften

soft·en

S0537000 (sô′fən, sŏf′ən)v. soft·ened, soft·en·ing, soft·ens v.tr.1. To make soft or softer.2. To undermine or reduce the strength, morale, or resistance of.3. To make less harsh, strident, or critical: softened the last paragraph of the letter.v.intr. To become soft or softer.

soft′en·er n.

soften

(ˈsɒfən) vb1. to make or become soft or softer2. to make or become gentler3. (Commerce) (intr) commerce a. (of demand, a market, etc) to weakenb. (of a price) to fall

soft•en

(ˈsɔ fən, ˈsɒf ən)

v.t. 1. to make soft or softer. v.i. 2. to become soft or softer. [1325–75] soft′en•er, n.

soften

emollient, emolliate - Emollient is from Latin emolliere, "to soften"; to emolliate is to soften or make effeminate.
macerate - Meaning "to soften," it comes from Greek massein, "knead."
lenify, lenity - To lenify is to alleviate or soothe an emotion or suffering, from Latin lenire, "soften"; lenity means kindness or gentleness.
amalgamate - Seems to go back to Greek malagma, "softening."

soften

Past participle: softened
Gerund: softening

Imperative
soften
soften

Present
I soften
you soften
he/she/it softens
we soften
you soften
they soften

Preterite
I softened
you softened
he/she/it softened
we softened
you softened
they softened

Present Continuous
I am softening
you are softening
he/she/it is softening
we are softening
you are softening
they are softening

Present Perfect
I have softened
you have softened
he/she/it has softened
we have softened
you have softened
they have softened

Past Continuous
I was softening
you were softening
he/she/it was softening
we were softening
you were softening
they were softening

Past Perfect
I had softened
you had softened
he/she/it had softened
we had softened
you had softened
they had softened

Future
I will soften
you will soften
he/she/it will soften
we will soften
you will soften
they will soften

Future Perfect
I will have softened
you will have softened
he/she/it will have softened
we will have softened
you will have softened
they will have softened

Future Continuous
I will be softening
you will be softening
he/she/it will be softening
we will be softening
you will be softening
they will be softening

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been softening
you have been softening
he/she/it has been softening
we have been softening
you have been softening
they have been softening

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been softening
you will have been softening
he/she/it will have been softening
we will have been softening
you will have been softening
they will have been softening

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been softening
you had been softening
he/she/it had been softening
we had been softening
you had been softening
they had been softening

Conditional
I would soften
you would soften
he/she/it would soften
we would soften
you would soften
they would soften

Past Conditional
I would have softened
you would have softened
he/she/it would have softened
we would have softened
you would have softened
they would have softened

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	soften - make (images or sounds) soft or softerchange intensity - increase or decrease in intensitydamp, mute, tone down, muffle, dampen, dull - deaden (a sound or noise), especially by wrappingsharpen - make (images or sounds) sharp or sharper
	2.	soften - lessen in force or effect; "soften a shock"; "break a fall"damp, weaken, dampen, breakblunt, deaden - make less lively, intense, or vigorous; impair in vigor, force, activity, or sensation; "Terror blunted her feelings"; "deaden a sound"deafen - make soundproof; "deafen a room"deaden, damp, dampen - make vague or obscure or make (an image) less visible; "muffle the message"
	3.	soften - give in, as to influence or pressurerelent, yieldtruckle - yield to out of weakness
	4.	soften - protect from impact; "cushion the blow"cushion, buffermodify - make less severe or harsh or extreme; "please modify this letter to make it more polite"; "he modified his views on same-gender marriage"
	5.	soften - make less severe or harsh; "He moderated his tone when the students burst out in tears"mince, moderatealter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue"
	6.	soften - make soft or softer; "This liquid will soften your laundry"alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue"mellow - soften, make mellow; "Age and experience mellowed him over the years"mollify - make less rigid or softermacerate - soften, usually by steeping in liquid, and cause to disintegrate as a result; "macerate peaches"; "the gizzards macerates the food in the digestive system"harden, indurate - make hard or harder; "The cold hardened the butter"
	7.	soften - become soft or softer; "The bread will soften if you pour some liquid on it"change - undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature; "She changed completely as she grew older"; "The weather changed last night"mellow - make or grow (more) mellow; "These apples need to mellow a bit more"; "The sun mellowed the fruit"macerate - become soft or separate and disintegrate as a result of excessive soaking; "the tissue macerated in the water"harden, indurate - become hard or harder; "The wax hardened"

soften

verb1. melt, tenderize Soften the butter mixture in a small saucepan.2. lessen, moderate, diminish, temper, lower, relax, ease, calm, modify, cushion, soothe, subdue, alleviate, lighten, quell, muffle, allay, mitigate, abate, tone down, assuage He could not think how to soften the blow of what he had to tell her.soften someone up win over, weaken, disarm, soft-soap (informal), work on, melt, conciliate If they'd treated you well it was only to soften you up.

soften

verb1. To moderate or change a position or course of action as a result of pressure:ease off, relent, slacken, weaken, yield.Idiom: give way.2. To make or become less severe or extreme:moderate, mute, qualify, subdue, tame, temper, tone down.3. To ease the anger or agitation of:appease, assuage, calm (down), conciliate, dulcify, gentle, mollify, pacify, placate, propitiate, soothe, sweeten.Idiom: pour oil on troubled water.

Translations

减弱少痛苦软化

soft

(soft) adjective1. not hard or firm; easily changing shape when pressed. a soft cushion.软的2. pleasantly smooth to the touch. The dog has a soft, silky coat.松软的3. not loud. a soft voice.柔和的4. (of colour) not bright or harsh. a soft pink. （颜色）柔和的 5. not strict (enough). You are too soft with him.软弱的6. (of a drink) not alcoholic. At the party they were serving soft drinks as well as wine and spirits. 不含酒精的（软饮料） 7. childishly weak, timid or silly. Don't be so soft – the dog won't hurt you.胆怯的ˈsoftly adverb柔软地ˈsoftness noun温柔soften (ˈsofn) verb to make or become soft or softer, less strong or less painful. The thick walls softened the noise of the explosion. 软化，减弱，少痛苦 ˌsoft-ˈboiled adjective (of eggs) slightly boiled, so that the yolk is still soft. She likes her eggs soft-boiled. （蛋）煮得半熟的 ˌsoft-ˈhearted adjective kind-hearted and generous. He had been given some money by a soft-hearted aunt.好心肠的ˌsoft-ˈspoken adjective having a gentle voice or manner. She was a soft-spoken woman with a shy smile.说话温柔的ˈsoftware noun computer programs, as opposed to the machines themselves (ˈhardware). 软件ˈsoftwood noun, adjective (of) the wood of a conebearing tree eg a pine. softwood furniture.软木材have a soft spot for to have a weakness for (someone or something) because of great affection. He's always had a soft spot for his youngest son. 易受打动的（感情）

soften

soften the blow

To make the impact of something negative less harmful. The government is introducing financial reliefs to soften the blow to those affected by the devastating floods. Playgrounds typically have sand or rubber grounds to help soften the blow if children fall off the play structures. When you have to tell someone about the death of a loved one, there's really no way to soften the blow.See also: blow, soften

soften up

1. To become soft or malleable. The rubber seal softens up if the engine gets too hot, so we need to make sure to keep it cool. I keep butter in a dish on the counter so it softens up a bit.2. To make something soft or malleable. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "soften" and "up." You need to heat the glass to high temperatures to soften it up before you can work with it. The sun softened the ground up a bit after being frozen over the winter.3. To become less resistant or emotionally hardened; to become gentler or more amenable. My dad was a bit of a tyrant when we were kids, but he softened up as he got older. The company's upper management has been notoriously reserved about adopting more mainstream market trends, but they seem to be softening up in recent years.4. To make someone more amenable to a suggestion or idea. Toddlers are difficult to deal with at the best of times. If you want yours to do something, sometimes softening them up with a small present or treat is the best course of action. Worried about how her mother might react to her new boyfriend, Jane asked her father to soften her up before she brought him over to dinner. I always suggest softening up potential clients with dinner at a nice restaurant.5. To make someone less tough, focused, determined, skilled, or able-bodied. He used to be the sharpest detective in the force, but years behind a desk in the head office has softened him up. Worried about how her mother might react to her new boyfriend, Jane asked her father to soften her up before she brought him over to dinner.See also: soften, up

soften (one's or someone's) stance (on something)

1. To become less severe, strict, or inflexible in one's position or beliefs (regarding something). Our dad always said he would never let us have our own phones, but he softened his stance when my sister and I started high school. The senator has indicated that she may be softening her stance on the issue of tax reform.2. To cause someone else to become less severe, strict, or inflexible in their position or beliefs (regarding something). I've been trying to soften the boss's stance on giving paid parental leave to all new employees. The government was originally adamant in their position on the controversial issue, but the continual protests around the country seem to be softening their stance.See also: soften, stance

soften one's stance (on someone or something)

Fig. to reduce the severity of one's position regarding someone or something. If he would soften his stance on the matter, I could easily become more cooperative.See also: soften, stance

soften someone up

Fig. to prepare to persuade someone of something. I will talk to Fred and soften him up for your request. I will soften up your father before you ask him about it.See also: soften, up

soften something up

to take actions that will make something softer. soften the butter up before you add it to the batter. Please soften up the ice cream before you try to serve it.See also: soften, up

soften up

1. Lit. [for something] to become softer. The butter softened up in the heat of the day. The candles will probably soften up and bend over in this hot weather. 2. Fig. [for someone] to adopt a more gentle manner. After a while, she softened up and was more friendly. It was weeks before Ted softened up and treated us more kindly.See also: soften, up

soften up

Reduce resistance, as in His sales motto was: a fine lunch and a few drinks often will soften up a prospective customer . This expression transfers lessening of physical hardness to lessening mental resistance. It was first used, however, in World War II, where it meant "reduce the enemy's defenses by preliminary bombing." [c. 1940] See also: soften, up

soften the blow

COMMON If something softens the blow, it makes an unpleasant change or piece of news seem less unpleasant and easier to accept. Attempts were made to soften the blow, by reducing what some people had to pay. Note: You can also say that something cushions the blow. The firm is offering to cushion the blow with a £4,000 cash handout spread over two years.See also: blow, soften

soften (or cushion) the blow

make it easier to cope with a difficult change or upsetting news.See also: blow, soften

cushion/soften the ˈblow

make something unpleasant seem less unpleasant and easier to accept: When he lost his job he was offered a cash payment to soften the blow.See also: blow, cushion, soften

soften up

v.1. To make something soft or softer: He softened up his new baseball glove with some oil. He left the butter out to soften it up.2. To undermine or reduce the strength, morale, or resistance of someone or something: The air force softened up the enemy positions with a heavy bombing campaign. The children gave me a present to soften me up before asking for new bicycles.See also: soften, up

soften

soft·en

soften

soft•en

soften

soften

soften

soften

soft

soften

soften the blow

soften up

soften (one's or someone's) stance (on something)

soften one's stance (on someone or something)

soften someone up

soften something up

soften up

soften up

soften the blow

soften (or cushion) the blow

cushion/soften the ˈblow

soften up

SOFTEN

soften

Synonyms for soften

verb melt

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verb lessen

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phrase soften someone up

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Synonyms for soften

verb to moderate or change a position or course of action as a result of pressure

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verb to make or become less severe or extreme

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verb to ease the anger or agitation of

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Synonyms for soften

verb make (images or sounds) soft or softer

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Antonyms

verb lessen in force or effect

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verb give in, as to influence or pressure

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verb protect from impact

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verb make less severe or harsh

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verb make soft or softer

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Antonyms

verb become soft or softer

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