softenverb [ I or T ]
uk/ˈsɒf.ən/us/ˈsɑː.fən/soften verb [ I or T ] (LESS HARD)
to become soft, or to make something soft:
You can soften the butter by warming it gently.
These dried apples will soften (up) if you soak them in water.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Soft and fluffy
- anneal
- as smooth as silk/a baby's bottom idiom
- feathery
- flaccid
- floaty
- furry
- fuzzy
- gauze
- limp
- macerate
- satiny
- shaky
- silky
- smooth
- soft
- spongy
- squish
- sudsy
- velvet
- workable
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soften verb [ I or T ] (MORE GENTLE)
to become more gentle or less strict, or to make someone do this:
The news will upset him - we must think of a way to soften the blow (= make the news less unpleasant for him).
Would you say the government's stance on law and order has softened?
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Calming and relaxing
- assuage
- balls-to-the-wall
- bask
- bread
- bread and circuses idiom
- calm
- chill
- humour
- lie down
- lighten sth up
- lighten up
- lull
- lull sb into sth
- relaxation
- settle
- simmer down
- slow down
- steady
- take things easy idiom
- take/need a cold shower idiom
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Phrasal verb(s)
soften sb up