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43 definitions found

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


  Soften \Sof"ten\, v. i.
     To become soft or softened, or less rude, harsh, severe, or
     obdurate.
     [1913 Webster]

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


  Soften \Sof"ten\, v. i.
     To become soft or softened, or less rude, harsh, severe, or
     obdurate.

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 ]


  soften
       v 1: make (images or sounds) soft or softer [ant: sharpen]
       2: lessen in force or effect; "soften a shock"; "break a fall"
          [syn: dampen, damp, weaken, break]
       3: give in, as to influence or pressure [syn: yield, relent]
          [ant: stand]
       4: protect from impact; "cushion the blow" [syn: cushion, buffer]
       5: make less severe or harsh; "He moderated his tone when the
          students burst out in tears" [syn: mince, moderate]
       6: make soft or softer; "This liquid will soften your laundry"
          [ant: harden]
       7: become soft or softer; "The bread will soften if you pour
          some liquid on it" [ant: harden]

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


  soften
     vb.
     1 (lb en transitive) To make something soft or softer.
     2 (lb en transitive) To undermine the morale of someone (often
  ''soften up'').
     3 (lb en transitive) To make less harsh
     4 (lb en intransitive) To become soft or softer
     5 (lb en ambitransitive phonology) To become or make (a consonant)
  more lenis, to lenite.
     6 (lb en Slavic phonology) To palatalize.

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


  soften
     vb.
     1 (lb en transitive) To make something soft or softer.
     2 (lb en transitive) To undermine the morale of someone (often
  ''soften up'').
     3 (lb en transitive) To make less harsh
     4 (lb en intransitive) To become soft or softer
     5 (lb en ambitransitive phonology) To become or make (a consonant)
  more lenis, to lenite.
     6 (lb en Slavic phonology) To palatalize.

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


  soften
     vb.
     1 (lb en transitive) To make something soft or softer.
     2 (lb en transitive) To undermine the morale of someone (often
  ''soften up'').
     3 (lb en transitive) To make less harsh
     4 (lb en intransitive) To become soft or softer
     5 (lb en ambitransitive phonology) To become or make (a consonant)
  more lenis, to lenite.
     6 (lb en Slavic phonology) To palatalize.

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


  soften
     vb.
     1 (lb en transitive) To make something soft or softer.
     2 (lb en transitive) To undermine the morale of someone (often
  ''soften up'').
     3 (lb en transitive) To make less harsh
     4 (lb en intransitive) To become soft or softer
     5 (lb en ambitransitive phonology) To become or make (a consonant)
  more lenis, to lenite.
     6 (lb en Slavic phonology) To palatalize.

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


  soften
     Englanti vb.
     pehmentää

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


  soften
     Engelska vb.
     mjukna

From English-Afrikaans FreeDict Dictionary ver. 0.1.3 : [ freedict:eng-afr ]


  soften /sˈɒfən/
  week

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


  Soften /sˈɒfən/
  إنخفض

From English-български език FreeDict+WikDict dictionary ver. 2023.05.29 : [ freedict:eng-bul ]


  soften //ˈsɑf(t)ən// //ˈsɒfən// //ˈsɔf(t)ən// 
  1. омеквам
  (intransitive) To become soft or softer
  2. смекчавам
  (transitive) To make less harsh
  3. размеквам
  (transitive) To make something soft or softer

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


  soften /sˈɒfən/ 
  změkčit

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


  soften /sˈɒfən/ 
  obměkčit

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


  soften /sˈɒfən/ 
  změknout

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


  soften /sˈɒfən/
  měkčit

From Eurfa Saesneg, English-Welsh Eurfa/Freedict dictionary ver. 0.2.3 : [ freedict:eng-cym ]


  soften /sˈɒfən/ 
  meddalhau

From Eurfa Saesneg, English-Welsh Eurfa/Freedict dictionary ver. 0.2.3 : [ freedict:eng-cym ]


  soften /sˈɒfən/ 
  meddalu

From Eurfa Saesneg, English-Welsh Eurfa/Freedict dictionary ver. 0.2.3 : [ freedict:eng-cym ]


  soften /sˈɒfən/ 
  nawseiddio

From Eurfa Saesneg, English-Welsh Eurfa/Freedict dictionary ver. 0.2.3 : [ freedict:eng-cym ]


  soften /sˈɒfən/ 
  tyneru