| Main Entry: | soften |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | calm, soothe |
Synonyms: |
abate, allay, alleviate, appease, assuage, become tender, bend, cushion, diminish, disintegrate, dissolve, ease, enfeeble, give, knead, lessen, lighten, lower, mash, mellow, melt, mitigate, moderate, modify, moisten, mollify, palliate, qualify, quell, relax, relent, still, subdue, temper, tenderize, thaw, tone down, turn down, weaken, yield |
Antonyms: |
irritate, trouble, upset, worry |
| Main Entry: | appease |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | satisfy, pacify |
Synonyms: |
allay, alleviate, assuage, be enough, blunt, calm, compose, conciliate, content, diminish, do*, ease, gratify, lessen, lull, make matters up, meet halfway, mitigate, mollify, patch things up, placate, propitiate, quell, quench, quiet, serve, soften, soothe, subdue, sweeten, tranquilize |
Antonyms: |
aggravate, annoy, incite, irritate, provoke, tease |
| Main Entry: | assuage |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | soothe, relieve |
Synonyms: |
allay, alleviate, appease, calm, compose, conciliate, cool*, ease, fill, lessen, lighten, lull, make nice, mitigate, moderate, mollify, pacify, palliate, placate, pour oil on, propitiate, quench, quiet, sate, satisfy, soften, still, surfeit, sweeten, take the edge off, take the sting out, temper, tranquilize |
Antonyms: |
exacerbate, upset |
| Main Entry: | blunt |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make dull |
Synonyms: |
attenuate, benumb, cripple, dampen, deaden, debilitate, desensitize, disable, enfeeble, hebetate, numb, obtund, sap, soften, take the edge off, undermine, water down, weaken |
Antonyms: |
needle, point, sharpen |
| Main Entry: | blur |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | cloud, fog |
Synonyms: |
becloud, bedim, befog, blear, blind, darken, daze, dazzle, dim, glare, make hazy, make indistinct, make vague, mask, muddy, obscure, shade, soften |
Antonyms: |
clear, uncloud, unsmudge |
| Main Entry: | break |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | cushion something's effect |
Synonyms: |
diminish, lessen, lighten, moderate, reduce, soften, weaken |
| Notes: | to brake is to slow or stop while break is to cause to separate into pieces suddenly or violently, smash or crack |
| Main Entry: | cajole |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | attempt to coax; flatter |
Synonyms: |
apple polish, argue into, banter, beguile, blandish, bootlick, brownnose, build up, butter up, con, crowd, deceive, decoy, delude, dupe, entice, entrap, get around, get next to, hand a line, induce, influence, inveigle, jolly, lay it on thick, lure, make up to, maneuver, massage, mislead, oil, play up to, push, rub the right way, seduce, snow*, soap, soft-soap, soften, spread it on, stroke, suck up to, sweet-talk, sweeten up, tantalize, tempt, urge, wheedle, work on, work over |
Antonyms: |
bully, force, repel |
| Main Entry: | chasten |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | correct, humiliate |
Synonyms: |
abase, admonish, afflict, berate, call down, castigate, chastise, chide, cow, curb, discipline, exprobate, fulminate against, have on the carpet, humble, objurgate, penalize, punish, rake over the coals, rebuke, reprehend, repress, reprimand, reproach, reprove, restrain, scold, scourge, soften, subdue, take to task, tame, tongue-lash, try, upbraid |
Antonyms: |
aid, animate, assist, boost, cheer, comfort, embolden, encourage, help, honor, uplift |
| Main Entry: | comfort |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make to feel better |
Synonyms: |
abate, aid, allay, alleviate, ameliorate, assist, assuage, bolster, buck up, calm, cheer, commiserate with, compose, condole, confirm, console, delight, divert, ease, encourage, enliven, free, gladden, grant respite, hearten, help, inspirit, invigorate, lighten burden, make well, mitigate, nourish, put at ease, quiet fears, reanimate, reassure, refresh, relieve, remedy, revitalize, revive, salve, soften, solace, soothe, strengthen, stroke, succor, support, sustain, sympathize, uphold, upraise |
Antonyms: |
aggravate, annoy, bother, distress, exasperate, hurt, irritate, provoke, torment, torture, trouble, vex |
| Main Entry: | commute |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | reduce punishment |
Synonyms: |
alleviate, curtail, decrease, mitigate, modify, remit, shorten, soften |
Antonyms: |
increase, lengthen |