soften verb
1 become/make sth softer/gentler
ADV. considerably, a lot | a little, slightly His smile softened slightly.
2 make sth seem less severe
ADV. slightly, somewhat
VERB + SOFTEN try The chancellor may try to soften the blow somewhat with a cut in interest rates. | help (to)
You can also check other dicts: soften (English, 中文解释 ), wordnet sense, Collins Definition