Meanings
softening1
- gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of soften
softening2
plural softenings
- The process of making something soft.
- The process of becoming soft.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivehaving a softening or soothing effect especially to the skin
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
softening · verb
- Middle Englishsoftenynge
- Englishsoftening
From Middle English softenynge, softynand, equivalent to soften + -ing.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →softening · noun
- Middle Englishsoftenyng
- Englishsoftening
From Middle English softenyng, softenynge, equivalent to soften + -ing.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek μάλαξις
- μάλαξις (málaxis)process of making something soft
Catalan ablaniment, ablaniment
- ablanimentprocess of making something soft
- ablanimentprocess of becoming soft
Chinese Mandarin 軟化 /软化, 軟化 /软化
- 軟化 /软化 (ruǎnhuà)process of making something soft
- 軟化 /软化 (ruǎnhuà)process of becoming soft
Finnish pehmentäminen, pehmennys
- pehmentäminenprocess of making something soft
- pehmennysprocess of making something soft
- pehmeneminenprocess of becoming soft
- pehmentyminenprocess of becoming soft
Italian ammorbidimento
- ammorbidimentoprocess of making something soft
Latin ēmollītiō, malaxātiō
- ēmollītiōprocess of making something soft
- malaxātiōprocess of making something soft
Spanish ablandamiento, ablandamiento
- ablandamientoprocess of making something soft
- ablandamientoprocess of becoming soft
Cite this entry
softening. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/softening
“softening.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/softening. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “softening,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/softening.
Source: softening on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.