Soften for Dummies

Soften is a word that we use when we want to describe something becoming less hard or firm. It's like when you have a cookie that's really hard and you leave it out overnight, the next day it's much easier to bite into because it has become softer. So when things "soften," they become more gentle or less intense.

Let me give you an example to help you understand better. Imagine you have a big ice cube, okay? And let's say that ice cube is really, really cold and hard. But then, you take that ice cube and you put it outside on a warm sunny day. What do you think will happen to the ice cube? Well, because it's so warm outside, the ice cube starts to melt and become water, right? And as it melts, it becomes softer and softer.

Think about how your stuffed animal feels to touch. When you squeeze it really tightly, it's firm and maybe even a little bit stiff. But if you were to hug it gently, it would feel softer.

So, in simple terms, when something softens, it means it becomes less hard and more gentle or flexible. It's like how a hard cookie becomes softer when it's left out, or how an ice cube melts and becomes water, or how a stuffed animal feels softer when you give it a gentle hug.