different between restrain vs soften

English

Etymology

From Middle English restreinen, a borrowing from Old French restreindre, from Latin r?stringere, present active infinitive of r?string? (“fasten, tighten”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???st?e?n/
• Rhymes: -e?n
• Hyphenation: re?strain

Verb

restrain (third-person singular simple present restrains, present participle restraining, simple past and past participle restrained)

1. (transitive) To control or keep in check.
2. (transitive) To deprive of liberty.
3. (transitive) To restrict or limit.

   He was restrained by the straitjacket.

Synonyms

• (control or keep in check): check, limit, restrain, withstrain; See also Thesaurus:curb
• (deprive of liberty): confine, detain

Related terms

• constrain
• restraint
• restrict

Translations

Anagrams

• arrestin, retrains, strainer, terrains, trainers, transire

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