verb · neutral
soften
UK/ˈsɒfən/US/ˈsɔːfən/SOFT·en
Band 5-6speakingtask2
make something softer physically; make a stance or reaction less severe or harsh
Examples
“The manager softened his tone when the employee explained the mistake.”
“They softened the policy after public protests.”
“Heat will soften the butter.”
Band 8 sentence
“Faced with mounting criticism, the administration decided to soften some of the more controversial measures.”
Collocations
- soften the blow
- soften relations
- soften a policy
Word family
soften vsoftens v (3rd sing)softening v -ing / nounsoftened v (past/past participle)soft adj
Common mistakes
The company softened down its policy.→The company softened its policy.
They softened the punishment a little more.→They softened the punishment slightly.
Say it for a higher band
5make softer→6ease→7+soften
Synonyms
ease
moderate
Easily confused
ease
“The government eased restrictions to support small businesses.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In -en
Learn it with its set