softening 1 of 3

adjective

as in emollient

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softening

2 of 3

noun

as in mellowing

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Dissimilar Words

softening

3 of 3

verb

present participle of soften
1
as in weakening
to diminish the physical strength of three weeks of being sick in bed had noticeably softened her

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2
as in alleviating
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 softening
Noun
The legendary treatment may just be as famous as Oprah herself for its ultra-hydrating, softening, lifting, and glow-boosting effect. — Alyssa Morin, InStyle, 2 Aug. 2026 There is no imperative on their part to do anything with rates immediately, and the softening in the pace of job growth suggests that rate hikes are very unlikely to be necessary this year. — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 2 July 2026 These colors draw inspiration from the natural softening of hues often associated with beachy, coastal towns. — Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 July 2026 Sure enough, since Lalas returned from Seattle, there seems to have been a softening. — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 28 June 2026 Washing, softening, drying, and stabilizing all demand significant water, energy, heat, and chemicals. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 25 June 2026 One seasoning avenue is marinating meats, an age-old softening and flavoring technique that still works like magic. — Randi Gollin, Martha Stewart, 16 June 2026 Its softening of formality, without losing out on service or gastronomy. — Lela London, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026 In offices increasingly focused on leadership presence and executive confidence, that constant softening can quietly undermine how women are perceived. — Kelly Ehlers, Rolling Stone, 2 June 2026
Verb
From removing stubborn stains to softening scratchy towels, vinegar consistently tackles the problems that detergents and fabric softeners sometimes leave behind. — Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2026 Meanwhile, the vitamins, delivered via skin-softening plant oils, help moisturize and firm the skin. — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2026 The water alone will create steam in the microwave, softening any hardened debris. — Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 29 Aug. 2026 That’s because the scent leads with a masculine-leaning opening of almond blossom, pink pepper, and neroli, before softening to its woody vanilla base. — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026 Nike had been using Bugs Bunny in a series of commercials starring Michael Jordan as a means of softening the basketball legend’s intense on-court image and marketing his Air Jordans to families. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2026 In a hallway, on a sidewalk or a gentle downhill, walk briskly for 6 or more feet, then bring yourself to a complete stop over three progressively shorter steps, softening your knees, hinging slightly at your hips and dropping your center of mass. — Dana Santas, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026 Now, parts and service departments and finance and insurance packages are becoming more important sources of profit for car dealers, as profits from new vehicle sales show signs of softening. — Robert Ferris, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026 The Moon conjoins Venus in Libra and your 3rd House of Communication, softening texts, calls, errands, sibling dynamics, and local conversations. — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 16 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for softening
  1. emollient
  2. mellowing
  3. weakening
  4. alleviating
  5. lenient
  6. flowering
  7. mitigating
  8. merciful
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, emollient vitamin E and softening jojoba seed oil condition your natural nails, leaving them (and the skin around them) feeling softer and more hydrated.
    — Sarah Felbin, Allure, 30 Apr. 2026
  • The formula is infused with emollient fatty acids to help support the skin’s moisture barrier, while its semi-sheer finish ensures a soft glow—far from the heavy-handed bronzer looks of the mid-2010s.
    — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 29 Aug. 2025
Definition of emollient
Noun
  • Knobel uses Tennessee charcoal mellowing and hand‑toasted barrels to refine classic comfort flavors of Tennessee whiskey.
    — Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
  • Sometimes girls have a way of mellowing guys out.
    — Stephen King, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
Definition of mellowing
Verb
  • If superconductivity in magic-angle graphene were primarily driven by phonons, or vibrations of the atomic lattice, weakening Coulomb interactions would be expected to leave the effect largely unchanged or even strengthen it slightly.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Caterpillar carries a weakening relative strength score of just 4 out of 10 versus the S & P 500.
    — Tony Zhang, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of weakening
Verb
  • Europe’s efforts are for now too modest, too regulated, too fragmented, and too focused on alleviating government restrictions rather than promoting commercial use to fundamentally change dependencies that have accumulated over decades.
    — Kurt M. Campbell, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
  • In 2021, in hopes of alleviating economic pressures during the pandemic, Congress passed legislation eliminating premiums for people with the lowest incomes and reduced the cost for people with higher incomes.
    — Robert Applebaum, The Conversation, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of alleviating
Adjective
  • Considered too lenient toward the Germans, Marie-Adelaide abdicated in January 1919 in favor of her sister, Charlotte.
    — Giorgia Olivieri, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The allegations against Tran have led to other murder convictions being overturned, dismissals and relatively lenient plea deals in other cases.
    — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of lenient
Noun
  • Petunias are classic flowering annuals that add a burst of color to your garden from spring right through to the first frost with the right care.
    — Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Across approximately 265,000 acres, Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado has everything from forest and flowering meadows to breathtaking mountains and alpine lakes.
    — Giovanna Caravetta, Travel + Leisure, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of flowering
Verb
  • All of these considerations aimed at mitigating sound cost money.
    — Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
  • This shift aims to secure more predictable, recurring revenue and higher user retention, mitigating the volatility of hardware sales.
    — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of mitigating
Adjective
  • God did not punish him intensely, but only from time to time and in a merciful way.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The cold streak for the MLB best home run bets came to a merciful end on Saturday.
    — Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of merciful

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Cite this Entry

“Softening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/softening. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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