softened

Softened is the past participle of soften and an adjective describing something made less hard, rigid, or severe. It denotes a change toward greater pliability or gentleness, achieved by heat, chemical treatment, mechanical action, or the passage of time. The term is used across fields—from science to everyday cooking.

In materials science, softening describes processes that reduce hardness and increase ductility. Annealing relieves internal stresses and makes metals easier to form; in polymers, certain deformations can exhibit strain softening, where stress decreases as plastic strain grows. Softening can also refer to reduced strength in soils or rocks under specific conditions, though this usage is specialized.

In glassmaking and ceramics, heating a material toward its softening point allows shaping and forming, after which it hardens again as it cools. This concept underpins processes such as glass blowing and ceramic forming.

In water treatment, softened water has reduced levels of calcium and magnesium ions, typically by ion-exchange or lime softening. It can decrease scale buildup and improve soap lather, but may affect taste or corrosion behavior in some systems.

In cooking and food preparation, “softened” commonly describes ingredients brought to a softer state, such as softened butter at room temperature for mixing, or onions softened by sautéing.

In image processing and photography, softening refers to reducing sharpness to produce a gentler look, often achieved with blur filters or edge feathering.