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27 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 : [ gcide ]


  Soften \Sof"ten\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Softened; p. pr. & vb.
     n. Softening.]
     To make soft or more soft. Specifically: 
     [1913 Webster]
     (a) To render less hard; -- said of matter.
         [1913 Webster]
  
               Their arrow's point they soften in the flame.
                                                    --Gay.
         [1913 Webster]
     (b) To mollify; to make less fierce or intractable.
         [1913 Webster]
  
               Diffidence conciliates the proud, and softens the
               severe.                              --Rambler.
         [1913 Webster]
     (c) To palliate; to represent as less enormous; as, to soften
         a fault.
         [1913 Webster]
     (d) To compose; to mitigate; to assuage.
         [1913 Webster]
  
               Music can soften pain to ease.       --Pope.
         [1913 Webster]
     (e) To make calm and placid.
         [1913 Webster]
  
               All that cheers or softens life.     --Pope.
         [1913 Webster]
     (f) To make less harsh, less rude, less offensive, or less
         violent, or to render of an opposite quality.
         [1913 Webster]
  
               He bore his great commision in his look,
               But tempered awe, and softened all he spoke.
                                                    --Dryden.
         [1913 Webster]
     (g) To make less glaring; to tone down; as, to soften the
         coloring of a picture.
         [1913 Webster]
     (h) To make tender; to make effeminate; to enervate; as,
         troops softened by luxury.
         [1913 Webster]
     (i) To make less harsh or grating, or of a quality the
         opposite; as, to soften the voice.
         [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 : [ gcide ]


  Softening \Sof"ten*ing\,
     a. & n. from Soften, v.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Softening of the brain, or Cerebral softening (Med.), a
        localized softening of the brain substance, due to
        hemorrhage or inflammation. Three varieties, distinguished
        by their color and representing different stages of the
        morbid process, are known respectively as red, yellow, and
        white, softening.
        [1913 Webster]

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) : [ web1913 ]


  Softening \Sof"ten*ing\,
     a. & n. from Soften, v.
  
     Softening of the brain, or Cerebral softening (Med.), a
        localized softening of the brain substance, due to
        hemorrhage or inflammation. Three varieties, distinguished
        by their color and representing different stages of the
        morbid process, are known respectively as red, yellow, and
        white, softening.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) : [ web1913 ]


  Soften \Sof"ten\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Softened; p. pr. & vb.
     n. Softening.]
     To make soft or more soft. Specifically:
     (a) To render less hard; -- said of matter.
  
               Their arrow's point they soften in the flame.
                                                    --Gay.
     (b) To mollify; to make less fierce or intractable.
  
               Diffidence conciliates the proud, and softens the
               severe.                              --Rambler.
     (c) To palliate; to represent as less enormous; as, to soften
         a fault.
     (d) To compose; to mitigate; to assuage.
  
               Music can soften pain to ease.       --Pope.
     (e) To make calm and placid.
  
               All that cheers or softens life.     --Pope.
     (f) To make less harsh, less rude, less offensive, or less
         violent, or to render of an opposite quality.
  
               He bore his great commision in his look, But
               tempered awe, and softened all he spoke. --Dryden.
     (g) To make less glaring; to tone down; as, to soften the
         coloring of a picture.
     (h) To make tender; to make effeminate; to enervate; as,
         troops softened by luxury.

From WordNet (r) 2.0 : [ wn ]


  softening
       adj : having a softening or soothing effect especially to the skin
             [syn: demulcent, emollient, salving]
       n : the process of becoming softer; "refrigeration delayed the
           softening of the fruit"; "he observed the softening of
           iron by heat"

From English Wiktionary: All languages (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-ALL-2023-07-27 ]


  softening
     vb.
     (present participle of en soften nocat=1)
     n.
     1 The process of making something soft.
     2 The process of becoming soft.

From English Wiktionary: English language only (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-en-2023-07-27 ]


  softening
     vb.
     (present participle of en soften nocat=1)
     n.
     1 The process of making something soft.
     2 The process of becoming soft.

From English Wiktionary: Western, Greek, and Slavonic languages only (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-Western_Greek_Slavonic-2023-07-27 ]


  softening
     vb.
     (present participle of en soften nocat=1)
     n.
     1 The process of making something soft.
     2 The process of becoming soft.

From English Wiktionary: Western languages only (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-Western-2023-07-27 ]


  softening
     vb.
     (present participle of en soften nocat=1)
     n.
     1 The process of making something soft.
     2 The process of becoming soft.

From Finnish Wiktionary: All languages (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-fi-ALL-2023-07-27 ]


  softening
     Englanti n.
     1 pehmitys
     2 pehmittäminen
     Englanti vb.
     (en-v-taivm s often ing)

From English-Arabic FreeDict Dictionary ver. 0.6.3 : [ freedict:eng-ara ]


  Softening /sˈɒfənɪŋ/
  التخفيف

From English-Czech dicts.info/FreeDict Dictionary ver. 0.1.3 : [ freedict:eng-ces ]


  softening /sˈɒfənɪŋ/ 
  změkčování