[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

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
see also:
softened softening 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

soften \sof"ten\, v. i.
   to become soft or softened, or less rude, harsh, severe, or
   obdurate.
   1913 webster

[3] : WordNet (r) 2.0

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
see also:
sharpen dampen damp weaken break yield 
relent stand cushion buffer mince 
moderate harden 

[4] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

186 moby thesaurus words for "soften":
   abate, absorb the shock, adjust to, affect, agree, allay,
   alleviate, allow for, alter, anesthetize, appease, assent, assuage,
   attemper, baffle, bank the fire, benumb, blunt, blur, box in,
   break the fall, castrate, chasten, circumscribe, color,
   come home to, concur, condition, consent, constrain, control,
   cushion, damp, dampen, de-emphasize, deaden, deaden the pain,
   deafen, decry, defocus, demasculinize, devaluate, devalue, dim,
   diminish, downplay, dull, ease, ease matters, ease up, effeminate,
   effeminatize, effeminize, emasculate, extenuate, film, fluff, fog,
   foment, geld, gentle, give in, give relief, give way, gloss over,
   go deep, go through one, grieve, hedge, hedge about, ignore,
   keep within bounds, knead, laxate, lay, leaven, lenify, lessen,
   let up, lighten, limber, limber up, limit, loosen, lose resolution,
   lower, lull, make allowance for, mark down, mash, massage, mellow,
   melt, melt the heart, milden, mince, mist, mitigate, moderate,
   modify, modulate, mollify, move, muffle, mute, narrow, neutralize,
   numb, obtund, offset, pad, pale, palliate, penetrate, pierce,
   play down, plump, poultice, pour balm into, pour oil on, pulp,
   qualify, quell, quiet, quieten, reach, reduce,
   reduce the temperature, regulate by, relax, relieve, restrain,
   restrict, sadden, salve, season, set conditions, set limits,
   shake up, show consideration, show mercy, show pity, sissify,
   slacken, slake, slow down, slur over, smart, smash, smother, sober,
   sober down, soft-pedal, soften the blow, soften up, soothe, squash,
   stifle, still, sting, stir, stop, stupe, subdue, succumb, supple,
   suppress, surrender, tame, temper, tenderize, tone down, touch,
   touch a chord, tune down, turn down, underplay, underrate,
   undervalue, varnish, weaken, whitewash, womanize, write down,
   write off, yield

Soften >> S Words
Soften, definition of term: Soften
soften_pag1.html

Sanders Attempts to Soften USAPA
... ..
http://www.reformer.com/Stories/0,1413,102~8860~1227085,00.html, score=100, date indexed=December 30, 2005, 5:02 pm

The Center for Public Integrity
... ..
http://www.public-i.org/story_01_112901.htm, score=85, date indexed=January 20, 2006, 10:36 am

Key Shiites soften tone toward US | csmonitor.com
...Key Shiites soften tone toward US. One of the harshest critics of the ... ..
http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/1119/p01s04-woiq.html, score=75, date indexed=January 24, 2006, 12:57 am

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | English bishops soften Vatican's moral ...
...The Catholic Church in England and Wales will today soften the harsh ... English bishops soften Vatican's moral line Stephen Bates, religious ... ..
http://www.guardian.co.uk/religion/Story/0,2763,1224880,00.html, score=73, date indexed=December 21, 2005, 12:20 pm

soften heart spell
...This spell soften the heart of the person that is cast on. May be a ... Write name of person to soften in paper, in capital letters, using ... ..
http://www.spellsandmagic.com/soften_heart.html, score=73, date indexed=November 24, 2005, 2:13 pm

Natural Remedies To Soften Face Wrinkles
...... remedies to soften face wrinkles ... natural remedies to soften face ... Your Requested natural remedies to soften face wrinkles Site: Skin ... ..
http://www.cosmetics-guide.com/OPG2/natural-remedies-to-soften-face-wrinkles.html, score=63, date indexed=December 8, 2005, 12:02 pm

wash soften bed sheets
...to soften it). These are very effective to soften tumors, abscesses ... cake. Running it under hot water will soften it up for eaiser removal ... ..
http://www.bedsheetsco.com/Sheet1/washsoftenbedsheets/, score=63, date indexed=January 19, 2006, 6:43 am

Aljazeera.Net - Marines to soften image in Iraq
...Marines to soften image in Iraq. Wednesday 07 January 2004, 13:59 ... ..
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/1620ED69-D961-48BE-8008-4B7514276D73.htm, score=60, date indexed=December 30, 2005, 6:33 pm

Definition of Soften from dictionary.net
...... mean?. we found 2 entries for the meaning of soften.  . Soften \Sof" ... Music can soften pain to ease. --Pope..    (e) To make calm and placid. ... ..
http://www.dictionary.net/soften, score=59, date indexed=January 1, 2006, 12:24 pm

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