softens

Softens is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb soften. The core meaning is to make something soft, or to become soft, by reducing hardness, stiffness, or firmness. The term can refer to physical changes in materials, or to more abstract changes in behavior, conditions, or intensities.

In cooking, softens describes how heat and moisture cause foods to lose firmness—onions soften when sautéed, fruit flesh softens as it cooks, and dough or vegetables become pliable as they hydrate. In materials science, softening can mean a reduction in hardness or yield strength, achieved through heating (thermal annealing), deformation, or other thermomechanical treatments. Polymers have a characteristic softening point, where they progressively become more pliable.

In everyday language, softening can refer to a change in tone, penalties, or attitudes—for example, a policy is softened to be less punitive. The term encompasses both physical and figurative processes, and its precise implications depend on the material or context involved.