different between lighten vs soften
lighten
English
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /?la?.t?n/
- Rhymes: -a?t?n
Etymology 1
From Middle English lightnen, equivalent to light +? -en.
Verb
lighten (third-person singular simple present lightens, present participle lightening, simple past and past participle lightened)
- (transitive) To make brighter or clearer; to illuminate.
- 1667, John Dryden, Annus Mirabilis, London: Henry Herringman, stanza 231, p. 59,[1]
- A Key of fire ran all along the shore,
- And lighten’d all the river with the blaze:
- 1667, John Dryden, Annus Mirabilis, London: Henry Herringman, stanza 231, p. 59,[1]
- (intransitive) To become brighter or clearer; to brighten.
- (intransitive, archaic) To burst forth or dart, as lightning; to shine with, or like, lightning; to flash.
- 1595, George Peele, The Old Wives’ Tale, The Malone Society Reprints, 1908, line 500,[2]
- Enter the Conjurer; it lightens and thunders […]
- c. 1599, William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Act I, Scene 3,[3]
- […] this dreadful night,
- That thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars
- As doth the lion.
- 1595, George Peele, The Old Wives’ Tale, The Malone Society Reprints, 1908, line 500,[2]
- (transitive) To emit or disclose in, or as if in, lightning; to flash out, like lightning.
- c. 1595, William Shakespeare, Richard II, Act III, Scene 3,[4]
- […] behold his eye,
- As bright as is the eagle’s, lightens forth
- Controlling majesty:
- c. 1595, William Shakespeare, Richard II, Act III, Scene 3,[4]
- To illuminate with knowledge; to enlighten.
- 1599, John Davies, “Of the Soule of man, and the immortalitie thereof” in Nosce Teipsum. This Oracle Expounded in Two Elegies, London: John Standish, p. 10,[5]
- O Light which mak’st the Light, which makes the Day,
- Which setst the Eye without and Mind within,
- Lighten my spirit with one cleare heavenly ray,
- Which now to view it selfe doth first begin.
- 1599, John Davies, “Of the Soule of man, and the immortalitie thereof” in Nosce Teipsum. This Oracle Expounded in Two Elegies, London: John Standish, p. 10,[5]
Conjugation
Derived terms
- lighten up
Translations
Etymology 2
From Middle English lightnen, equivalent to light +? -en.
Verb
lighten (third-person singular simple present lightens, present participle lightening, simple past and past participle lightened)
- (transitive) To alleviate; to reduce the burden of.
- (transitive) To make light or lighter in weight.
- (transitive) To make less serious or more cheerful.
- 1611, King James Version of the Bible, Psalms 34:5,[6]
- They looked unto him, were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
- 1611, King James Version of the Bible, Psalms 34:5,[6]
- (intransitive) To become light or lighter in weight.
- (intransitive) To become less serious or more cheerful.
Conjugation
Derived terms
- lighten up
Translations
Etymology 3
From light +? -en.
Verb
lighten (third-person singular simple present lightens, present participle lightening, simple past and past participle lightened)
- To descend; to light.
- Book of Common Prayer
- O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us.
- Book of Common Prayer
Related terms
- alight
Anagrams
- enlight, lething
lighten From the web:
- what lightens dark spots
- what lightens skin
- what lightens hair
- what lightens acne scars
- what lightens scars
- what lightens stretch marks
- what lightens your period
- what lightens age spots
soften
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)
- (transitive) To make something soft or softer.
- Soften the butter before beating in the sugar.
- (transitive) To undermine the morale of someone (often soften up).
- Before the invasion, we softened up the enemy with the artillery.
- (transitive) To make less harsh
- Having second thoughts, I softened my criticism.
- (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
soften From the web:
- what softens stool
- what softens toenails
- what softens ear wax
- what softens the cervix
- what softens leather
- what softens calluses
- what softens water
- what softens cuticles
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