If you soften something or if it softens, it becomes less hard, stiff, or firm. Soften the butter mixture in a small saucepan. [VERB noun] Fry for about 4 minutes, until the onion has softened. [VERB] If one thing softens the damaging effect of another thing, it makes the effect less severe.
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. To become soft or softer. soft′en·er n. American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
soften (third-person singular simple present softens, present participle softening, simple past and past participle softened) (transitive) To make something soft or softer.
Soften means to make something less hard, harsh, or severe. It can describe physical changes, like softening butter, or emotional ones, like softening one’s tone to sound kinder.
Definition of soften verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
