SOFTENED Synonyms: 139 Similar and Opposite Words

softened 1 of 2

adjective

as in weak

lacking bodily strength the athlete, softened by the long period of convalescence, had to begin his training program almost from scratch

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

softened

2 of 2

verb

past tense of soften

as in weakened

to diminish the physical strength of three weeks of being sick in bed had noticeably softened her

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in tempered

to lessen the shock of had tried to soften the blow of her rejection to his marriage proposal

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of softened

Adjective

Add the diced Spanish onion and sauté until softened and translucent. — ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026 Problems surged in 2020, after sweeping criminal justice reforms led by Capitol Hill’s Ward 6 Councilman Charles Allen, who spearheaded softened penalties for crimes. — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 10 Aug. 2026 In separate large bowl of electric mixer beat together softened butter (1 stick) and 3/4 cup sugar at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. — Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 3 Aug. 2026 Start by cooking bell pepper, onion, and garlic until softened and sweet. — Elizabeth Nelson, Southern Living, 1 Aug. 2026 Energy company Equinor doubts the bloc will hit even its softened 80% winter target. — semafor.com, 31 July 2026 Stir in the eggplant and cook for 6-8 minutes, until softened and lightly browned. — Laura McLively, Mercury News, 23 July 2026 This one hit the softened green just right and rolled in for an eagle. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 25 June 2026 Add half of eggplant and cook, stirring often, until softened and golden brown, 5–7 minutes. — Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 June 2026

Verb

Looking ahead at the next six months, the industry’s expectations have softened only slightly. — Cleo Levin, Footwear News, 6 Aug. 2026 Cover and cook 30 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until green beans are softened and tomatoes have broken down. — Elizabeth Nelson, Southern Living, 5 Aug. 2026 Revenue from licensing of shows and films to streaming platforms has softened amid a general industry downturn over the past few years, while other categories of residuals have continued their longer downward trend. — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026 In 2021, Sebastian Perez, an undocumented farmworker from Guatemala, died after working outdoors during Oregon’s record-breaking heat wave when temperatures soared to 107°F and the asphalt softened beneath workers' feet. — Kathy Baughman McLeod, Time, 4 Aug. 2026 But his management, his friends and the passage of time softened him up. — Rodney Ho, AJC.com, 2 Aug. 2026 But since those secondary-market prices have recently softened, Jack Rose recently lowered the prices of these legendary drams. — Don Tse, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026 But as a candidate for governor, Hong had softened her tone while not disavowing her past statements. — ABC News, 31 July 2026 That, however, is softened by plums and blueberries, with a dash of honeysuckle and jasmine. — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 31 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for softened

Adjective

Many forex brokers respond to weak rankings by publishing more market guides, adding country pages and building links.

— David Ispiryan, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Slow money growth means weak nominal growth and low inflation, which in turn keeps interest rates and bond yields depressed—and the yen weak.

— Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of weak

Verb

Burger’s appointment, therefore, was concerning to criminal defense attorneys and civil rights activists, who feared that the Warren Court’s landmark decisions would be weakened or overturned.

— Quinn Yeargain, The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2026
Business in the greater Tokyo area was almost back to normal Wednesday after a tropical storm weakened to a depression and left Japan, with transportation operating normally and power restored to most homes.

— ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of weakened

Verb

Google may have alleviated immediate concerns by deciding to quickly remove the AI tool within Google Earth—but its statement suggested that the company could eventually bring the feature back in the future.

— Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026
Some patients also report that the drugs have alleviated a range of addictions, from alcohol to gambling.

— Elyse Moody, Architectural Digest, 27 July 2026

Definition of alleviated

Verb

The desire to do something, though, is mitigated by reports that organizations are struggling to generate value with AI.

— Mia Urman, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Unexpected outcomes can be mitigated by improving alignment, Moussouris said, something that will likely be a primary focus for the creators of AI models in the coming months.

— Lauren Fichten, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of mitigated

Adjective

My mom raves about Vuori loungewear, and there’s currently a pair of the brand’s airy, feather-soft wide-leg pants on sale for 25 percent off.

— Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 8 Aug. 2026
Set the scene On the second and last morning of my weekend at Winvian, a soft snow came upon the place and landed in a thin blanket.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of soft

Verb

While China has buffered itself from the broader supply shocks, more expensive fuel and commodities could weigh on consumer sentiment and disrupt manufacturing.

— Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
The quality of hoops ranged from genuinely exciting to a snooze, all generally played at a quick tempo that was only occasionally buffered by replay reviews of calls made under the lowest of stakes.

— Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 7 July 2026

Definition of buffered

Adjective

Her backstory is littered with half-truths and deceptions, including a lie that her mentally disabled younger sister was murdered after being kidnapped.

— Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2026
In addition to simulating the dispersal of defense production, Taiwan is throttling the island’s mobile network to show civilians what happens when internet services are disabled.

— Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of disabled

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“Softened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/softened. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of softened

adjective

verb

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