different between adjust vs soften

English

Etymology

From Middle English ajusten, borrowed from Middle French adjuster, or Old French, from Latin ad (“to, up to, towards”) + iustus (“correct, proper, exact”). Probably influenced in sense by Old French ajouster (cf. modern ajouter), from Vulgar Latin *adiuxt?re, from Latin iuxta. The Middle English originally meant "to correct, remedy" in the late 14th century, and was reborrowed from Middle French in the early 17th century. According to another view on the etymology, the word was actually derived from Old French ajouster and then supposedly later influenced by folk etymology from Latin iustus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??d??st/
• Rhymes: -?st

Verb

adjust (third-person singular simple present adjusts, present participle adjusting, simple past and past participle adjusted)

1. (transitive) To modify.

2. (transitive) To improve or rectify.

3. (transitive) To settle an insurance claim.
4. (intransitive) To change to fit circumstances.

Synonyms

• (to modify something): change, edit, modify, set

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

• Adjustment on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

References

Anagrams

• udjats

English

Etymology

From Middle English softenen, softnen, equivalent to soft +? -en.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?s?f?n/, enPR: s?f?en
• (US) IPA^(key): /?s?f?n/, enPR: sôf?en
• (US, cot–caught merger, Canada) IPA^(key): /?s?f?n/, enPR: s?f?en

Verb

soften (third-person singular simple present softens, present participle softening, simple past and past participle softened)

1. (transitive) To make something soft or softer.

   Soften the butter before beating in the sugar.

2. (transitive) To undermine the morale of someone (often soften up).

   Before the invasion, we softened up the enemy with the artillery.

3. (transitive) To make less harsh

   Having second thoughts, I softened my criticism.
4. (intransitive) To become soft or softer

   The butter softened as it warmed up.

Derived terms

• soften the ground
• softener

Translations

See also

• mollify
• neshen

Anagrams

• Sefton