different between soften vs dampen

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

English

Etymology

From damp +? -en.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?dæmp?n/

Verb

dampen (third-person singular simple present dampens, present participle dampening, simple past and past participle dampened)

1. (transitive) To make damp or moist; to make moderately wet.
2. (intransitive) To become damp or moist.
3. (transitive) To lessen; to dull; to make less intense (said of emotions and non-physical things).
   • 1883 "Pomona's Daughter", Frank R. Stockton, in The Century, vol. XXVI, number 1, May, page 25

     He was dreadfully familiar with everything, and talked about some places we were longing to see in a way that considerably dampened our enthusiasm.

   • 2007 October 16, Jane E. Brody, “Despite Strides, Listeria Needs Vigilance”, The New York Times,

     Pregnant women are 20 times as likely as other healthy young women to contract listeriosis, probably because in pregnancy the immune system is dampened to prevent rejection of the fetus.
4. (intransitive) To become damped or deadened.

Translations

Anagrams

• dampne, madnep

Danish

Noun

dampen c

1. definite singular of damp

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?d?mp?(n)/
• Hyphenation: dam?pen
• Rhymes: -?mp?n

Etymology 1

From damp +? -en. The meaning “to vape” is a semantic loan from English.

Verb

dampen

1. (intransitive) to steam, to give off steam or smoke
2. (intransitive) to vape (to inhale the vapour of an electronic cigarette)

   Synonym: vapen

Inflection

Derived terms

• bedampen
• indampen
• uitdampen
• verdampen

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the main entry.

Noun

dampen

1. Plural form of damp

Middle English

Verb

dampen

1. Alternative form of dampnen

Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

dampen m

1. definite singular of damp

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

dampen

1. definite singular of damp