Soften
'sɒfən
Definitions
2 meaningsTo make something less hard, intense, or severe; to become less hard or intense.
'sɒfən
To make or become soft or softer.
The rain softened the dry ground.
💡 Simply: Imagine a grumpy face. If you want it to be less grumpy, you can try to soften the expression by using a smile, like the way ice cream softens in the sun.
👶 For kids: To make something feel less hard or not so tough, like making Play-Doh softer.
More Examples
She used a conditioner to soften her hair.
The manager softened his stance on the deadline after hearing the team's concerns.
Adding cream will soften the coffee's bitterness.
How It's Used
"The chef softened the butter before adding it to the cake batter."
"Her kind words softened his anger."
"The musician softened the tempo of the song."
To reduce the harshness or intensity of something, such as sound, color, or tone.
'sɒfən
To make something less harsh or intense.
The artist softened the harsh lines of the portrait.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're listening to a very loud song, and you turn down the volume. You're softening the sound, like the way you soften your voice when you talk to a baby.
👶 For kids: To make something not so strong or loud or bright, like turning down the volume of your music.
More Examples
She softened her voice to comfort the crying child.
The filter softens the harshness of the sunlight.
They softened the lighting in the room to create a more relaxed atmosphere.
How It's Used
"The artist softened the colors in the painting."
"She softened her tone when she realized she was being too harsh."
Synonyms
From Old English *sōftian*, related to *sōfte* meaning 'soft'. It evolved from Proto-Germanic *samftaz*.
Historically, 'soften' has been used consistently to mean 'to make soft' or 'to make less harsh' since its early appearance in the English language.