SOFTENING

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does softening mean? 

• SOFTENING (noun)
  The noun SOFTENING has 1 sense:

1. the process of becoming softer

  Familiarity information: SOFTENING used as a noun is very rare.

• SOFTENING (adjective)
  The adjective SOFTENING has 1 sense:

1. having a softening or soothing effect especially to the skin

  Familiarity information: SOFTENING used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SOFTENING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The process of becoming softer

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Context example:

he observed the softening of iron by heat

Hypernyms ("softening" is a kind of...):

action; activity; natural action; natural process (a process existing in or produced by nature (rather than by the intent of human beings))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "softening"):

maceration (softening due to soaking or steeping)

Derivation:

soften (become soft or softer)

soften (make soft or softer)

• SOFTENING (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Having a softening or soothing effect especially to the skin

Synonyms:

demulcent; emollient; salving; softening

Similar:

soft (yielding readily to pressure or weight)

 Context examples 

But there was such an influence in Mr. Wickfield's old house, that when I knocked at it, with my new school-books under my arm, I began to feel my uneasiness softening away.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Necrosis and softening of the white matter around the ventricles in the brain.

(Periventricular Leukomalacia, NCI Thesaurus)

Bitter and truculent when excited, I spoke as I felt, without reserve or softening.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

He glanced at her, a moment’s amusement softening his features.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

The sodium salt of docusate, a dioctyl salt and an emollient laxative with stool-softening activity.

(Docusate Sodium, NCI Thesaurus)

The calcium salt of docusate, a dioctyl salt and an emollient laxative with stool-softening activity.

(Docusate Calcium, NCI Thesaurus)

Necrosis and softening of the white matter around the ventricles in the brain associated with cystic changes.

(Cystic Periventricular Leukomalacia, NCI Thesaurus)

As a hyperosmotic laxative, glycerin draws water into the bowel from surrounding tissues, thereby softening the stool and increasing bowel action.

(Glyoktyl, NCI Thesaurus)

A usually congenital abnormality characterized by softening of the laryngeal cartilage.

(Laryngomalacia, NCI Thesaurus)

She looked him in the face, and I can still see those black eyes of hers softening before the gaze.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)