Softening

a. & n.

1.

a. & n. from Soften, v. Softening of the brain (Med.) a localized softening of the brain substance, due to hemorrhage or inflammation. Three varieties, distinguished by their color and representing different stages of the morbid process, are known respectively as red, yellow, and white, softening.

Noun	1.	softening - the process of becoming softer; "refrigeration delayed the softening of the fruit"; "he observed the softening of iron by heat"
Adj.	1.	softening - having a softening or soothing effect especially to the skin Synonyms: demulcent, emollient, salving

abatement, abating, allaying, allayment, alleviating, alleviation, alleviative, allowance, altering, analgesia, analgesic, anesthesia, anesthetic, anesthetizing, anodyne, appeasement, assuagement, assuaging, assuasive, attenuation, attrition, balmy, balsamic, benumbing, blunting, bounding, calming, cathartic, chastening, cleansing, color, cushioning, dampening, damping, deadening, debilitation, decontamination, demulcent, demulsion, devitalization, dilution, diminishing, diminishment, diminution, dulcification, dulling, ease, easement, easing, effemination, emollient, enervation, enfeeblement, evisceration, exhaustion, extenuating, extenuating circumstances, extenuation, extenuative, extenuatory, falling-off, fatigue, gilding, gloss, hushing, inanition, languishment, laxation, leniency, lenitive, lessening, letdown, letup, lightening, limitative, limiting, loosening, lulling, mellowing, mitigating, mitigation, mitigative, mitigatory, modificatory, modifying, modulation, modulatory, mollification, mollifying, numbing, pacification, padding, pain-killing, palliation, palliative, purgative, qualification, qualificative, qualificatory, qualifying, quietening, quieting, reducing, reduction, relaxation, relaxing, relief, relieving, remedial, remedy, remission, restricting, restrictive, salving, slackening, softening-up, soothing, subduement, subduing, tempering, thinning, tranquilization, varnish, weakening, whitewash, whitewashing