Softening

Softening
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]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Softening — Sof ten*ing, a. & n. from {Soften}, v. [1913 Webster] {Softening of the brain}, or {Cerebral softening} (Med.), a localized softening of the brain substance, due to hemorrhage or inflammation. Three varieties, distinguished by their color and… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Softening — is a numerical trick used in N body techniques to prevent numerical divergences when a particle comes too close to another (and the force goes to infinity). This is obtained by modifying the gravitational potential of each particle as:Phi =… …   Wikipedia

  • softening — index mitigating, mitigation, mollification, palliative (abating) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • softening — I noun the process of becoming softer (Freq. 1) refrigeration delayed the softening of the fruit he observed the softening of iron by heat • Derivationally related forms: ↑soften • Hypernyms: ↑natural process, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • softening — Synonyms and related words: abatement, abating, allaying, allayment, alleviating, alleviation, alleviative, allowance, altering, analgesia, analgesic, anesthesia, anesthetic, anesthetizing, anodyne, appeasement, assuagement, assuaging, assuasive …   Moby Thesaurus

  • Softening of the brain — Softening Sof ten*ing, a. & n. from {Soften}, v. [1913 Webster] {Softening of the brain}, or {Cerebral softening} (Med.), a localized softening of the brain substance, due to hemorrhage or inflammation. Three varieties, distinguished by their… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • softening circumstances — index extenuating circumstances Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • softening of the brain — n. 1. degeneration of the brain tissues 2. Informal loss of mind …   English World dictionary

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