soften
gb/sˈɔfən/ us/sˈɔfən/
A2
Engleză
~ 8900
puhít, puhul, enyhít, finomít, megenyhül, ellágyul, gyengül, mérséklődik, visszaesik
VERB
A2
1
puhít
A2
Tipar de utilizare:
to soften [something]
Let the butter sit out to soften before you bake the cookies.
Hagyd a vajat szobahőmérsékleten megpuhulni, mielőtt megsütöd a kekszet.
Use a conditioner to soften your hair after washing it.
Mosás után használj hajbalzsamot, hogy puhábbá tedd a hajad.
The cream helps soften dry skin on your hands.
Add a little water to soften the clay if it feels too stiff.
Fabric softener is used to soften clothes in the wash.
Exemple pentru cursanți
The sun will soften the ice on the road.
A nap felpuhítja majd az úton lévő jeget.
Microwave the butter for ten seconds to soften it.
Mikrózd meg a vajat tíz másodpercig, hogy megpuhítsd.
This lotion can soften your dry feet.
She used warm water to soften the hard paint brush.
Salt can soften the beans as they cook.
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners sometimes say *make more soft* instead of *soften*. Use *soften* as the verb: "soften the butter", not "make the butter more soft" in concise speech.
Sens
make something softer physically
Colocații
soften the butter
|soften the skin
|soften the fabric
|soften the clay
|soften the bread
|soften the hair
Sinonime
soften up (Informal phrasal verb; often used about food or materials in everyday speech.)
|
tenderize (Used mainly for meat in cooking contexts.)
Antonime
harden (General opposite: to make something more hard or firm.)
|
stiffen (Focuses on making something less flexible rather than generally hard.)
Teme
daily life
|home
|cooking
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definiție
to make something less hard and more easy to press or shape
To make a material or surface less hard, stiff, or firm and easier to bend, press, or cut.
VERB
A2
2
puhul
A2
Tipar de utilizare:
[something] softens
The ice cream softened quickly in the summer heat.
A nyári melegben gyorsan megpuhult a fagylalt.
As the dough rested, it softened and was easier to roll out.
Ahogy a tészta pihent, megpuhult, és könnyebb volt kinyújtani.
The wax softened near the candle flame and started to bend.
After a few minutes in the pan, the onions softened and turned clear.
The ground softened after the heavy rain.
Exemple pentru cursanți
The butter softened on the warm table.
A vaj megpuhult a meleg asztalon.
The frozen meat slowly softened in the fridge.
A fagyott hús lassan felengedett a hűtőben.
In spring, the hard soil softens after the snow melts.
The plastic bottle softened when it got too hot.
The candy softened in my pocket.
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners may use only *get soft* instead of *soften*. While *get soft* is correct, *soften* is more natural and shorter in many descriptions ("The butter softened" rather than "The butter got soft").
Sens
become softer physically
Colocații
the butter softened
|the ground softened
|her skin softened
|the bread softened
|the plastic softened
|the wax softened
Sinonime
melt (Used when a solid becomes liquid, which is one way something can soften.)
|
thaw (Used when something frozen becomes softer as it warms.)
Antonime
harden (Opposite process: something becomes firmer or more solid.)
|
set (Used of substances like concrete, jelly, or glue becoming firm.)
Teme
daily life
|cooking
|nature
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definiție
to get less hard by itself
To become less hard, stiff, or firm in texture.
VERB
B1
3
Tipar de utilizare:
to soften [words/effect/rules/tone]
He tried to soften his words so they wouldn’t sound too rude.
Igyekezett finomítani a szavain, hogy ne hangozzanak túl durvának.
The company offered extra benefits to soften the impact of the job cuts.
A cég extra juttatásokat ajánlott fel, hogy enyhítse az elbocsátások hatását.
Adding a joke at the start can soften the tone of a serious speech.
They agreed to soften the rules for new employees.
She used a smile to soften the criticism.
Exemple pentru cursanți
He told the bad news slowly to soften the shock.
Lassan mondta el a rossz hírt, hogy enyhítse a sokkot.
You should soften your tone when you talk to children.
Finomítanod kellene a hangnemeden, amikor gyerekekkel beszélsz.
The teacher tried to soften her answer so it did not sound too strong.
The government gave people money to soften the problems of higher prices.
She added kind words to soften her message.
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners may confuse this with the physical sense and try to use objects that do not fit, such as *soften the problem* without context. It is more natural to say *soften the effect/impact/tone* or *soften the rules*.
Sens
make something less harsh or severe
Colocații
soften the tone
|soften the blow
|soften the impact
|soften the language
|soften the rules
|soften the criticism
Sinonime
moderate (More formal; stresses bringing something to a more reasonable level.)
|
ease (Focuses on reducing discomfort or difficulty.)
Antonime
intensify (To make something stronger or more extreme in effect.)
|
harden (In this context, to make an attitude, rule, or response more strict or unyielding.)
Teme
emotions
|communication
|work
|society
|relationships
Definiție
to make something less strong, hard, or serious in feeling or effect
To make something less severe, harsh, or intense, especially in tone, impact, or strictness.
VERB
B2
4
Tipar de utilizare:
[someone]/[attitude/tone] softens
Her expression softened when she saw the tears in his eyes.
Megenyhült az arckifejezése, amikor meglátta a könnyeket a férfi szemében.
Over time, his attitude toward the idea softened.
Idővel enyhült a hozzáállása az ötlethez.
The government’s stance softened after the public protests.
His voice softened as he spoke about his family.
As she listened, her heart softened and she decided to forgive him.
Exemple pentru cursanți
Her eyes softened when she saw the baby.
Ellágyult a tekintete, amikor meglátta a babát.
His attitude softened after he heard the full story.
Megenyhült a hozzáállása, miután meghallotta a teljes történetet.
The teacher’s voice softened when the child started to cry.
Their position on the plan softened after the meeting.
My feelings toward him softened with time.
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners sometimes say *make soft* about a person’s attitude (e.g. *he made his heart soft*). Instead, use *soften* as an intransitive verb: *his heart softened* or *his attitude softened*.
Sens
become less strict or harsh
Colocații
her face softened
|his attitude softened
|their position softened
|his heart softened
|her tone softened
|the stance softened
Sinonime
relent (Focuses on finally giving in after being strict or harsh.)
|
mellow (Informal; suggests becoming more relaxed and gentle over time.)
Antonime
harden (In this context, to become more strict, cold, or unforgiving.)
|
toughen (To become stricter or less sympathetic, especially about rules or attitudes.)
Teme
emotions
|relationships
|communication
Definiție
to change and be less strict, angry, or hard in feeling or in how you speak
To become less severe, strict, or emotionally hard, especially in attitude, tone, or feelings toward someone or something.
VERB
C1
5
Tipar de utilizare:
[prices/demand/market] soften
Oil prices softened slightly after the report.
Az olajárak kissé mérséklődtek a jelentés után.
Demand for new cars has softened in recent months.
Az elmúlt hónapokban gyengült az új autók iránti kereslet.
The housing market is expected to soften next year.
Sales softened in the second quarter compared with last year.
Growth in the sector has softened as competition increases.
Exemple pentru cursanți
Prices softened after the holiday season.
Az ünnepi időszak után mérséklődtek az árak.
Sales of phones softened when cheaper models came out.
Visszaestek a telefoneladások, amikor megjelentek az olcsóbb modellek.
The market for used cars softened last year.
Demand for the product softened in the summer.
Growth in the company softened but did not stop.
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners may overuse more general verbs like *go down* or *fall*. In business or news writing, *soften* often suggests a small or gentle decrease, not a sudden drop.
Sens
become weaker or less strong (market etc.)
Colocații
prices softened
|demand softened
|the market softened
|sales softened
|growth softened
Sinonime
slacken (Formal; used of speed or activity decreasing.)
|
weaken (General term; does not imply the slight, gradual nature that *soften* often suggests.)
Antonime
strengthen (To become stronger or more active.)
|
firm (Specialized business use: prices or markets becoming stronger or more stable.)
Teme
business
|economics
|finance
Definiție
to become less strong or active, often about prices or need for something
To become weaker, less active, or lower, especially referring to prices, demand, or a market.
Gramatică
Forma de dicționar
soften
IPA
GB/sˈɔfən/
US/sˈɔfən/
Silabe și accent
soften (1 silabă)
Stress on 1st syllable (soften)
Forme ale cuvântului
Verb
- Base: soften
- 3rd Person Singular: softens
- Present Participle: softening
- Past: softened
Familie de cuvinte
Expresii
soften the blow
1/sˈɔfən ðə blˈoʊ/
idiom
make bad news feel less painful
to make bad news or a bad event feel less painful or shocking for someone
Exemple
- To soften the blow of the breakup, her friends took her out for the evening.
- The company offered extra pay to soften the blow of losing their jobs.
- He tried to soften the blow by starting with some good news.
soften the edges
1/sˈɔfən ðə ˈɛd͡ʒɪz/
fixed phrase
make something look or feel less sharp
to make something less strong or sharp in look, style, or feeling, so it seems more gentle
Exemple
- The designer used plants to soften the edges of the modern building.
- A scarf can soften the edges of a very formal outfit.
- They added music to soften the edges of the serious documentary.
soften up
1/sˈɔfən ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
make someone more open or willing
to make someone kinder or more ready to agree, often by being nice to them first
Exemple
- He tried to soften her up with compliments before asking for a favor.
- The air force was used to soften up enemy positions before the ground troops moved in.
- Take her out to dinner to soften her up before you talk about the move.
- They launched missiles to soften up the defenses.
- They sent small gifts to soften up the clients before the big sales pitch.
- The initial bombardment was meant to soften up the city’s outer walls.
soften your tone
1/sˈɔfən jˈʊɹ tˈoʊn/
fixed phrase
speak in a less harsh way
to change your way of speaking so that you sound more kind, calm, or polite
Exemple
- He softened his tone when he realized she was upset.
- You need to soften your tone when you talk to him.
- The manager softened her tone during the second meeting.
soften the impact
1/sˈɔfən ðə ˈɪmpækt/
fixed phrase
reduce the strength of an effect
to make the effect of something less strong or less bad
Exemple
- Cushions were used to soften the impact of the fall.
- Tax cuts were introduced to soften the impact of rising prices.
- Better planning can soften the impact of budget cuts.
- They created a support fund to soften the impact of the factory closure.
- Better planning could have softened the impact of the storm on the city.
soften your stance
1/sˈɔfən jˈʊɹ stˈæns/
fixed phrase
become less firm in your position
to be less strict or firm in what you think or want, especially in an argument or negotiation
Exemple
- The union has softened its stance after weeks of negotiation.
- After long talks, the government finally softened its stance on immigration.
- She eventually softened her stance on working weekends.
- She refused to soften her stance on the issue.
- Public pressure forced the minister to soften his stance on the new law.
- The company softened its stance after hearing customer complaints.