soften vs deaden

soften and deaden both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
soften	No	No	Yes	No
deaden	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, deaden is a hypernym of soften; that is, deaden is a word with a broader meaning than soften:

soften: lessen in force or effect
deaden: make less lively, intense, or vigorous; impair in vigor, force, activity, or sensation

Other hypernyms of soften include blunt.

As verbs, deaden is a hyponym of soften; that is, deaden is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than soften:

Other hyponyms of soften include deafen, damp, dampen.

soften (verb)	deaden (verb)
become soft or softer	become lifeless, less lively, intense, or active; lose life, force, or vigor
make soft or softer	make less lively, intense, or vigorous; impair in vigor, force, activity, or sensation
lessen in force or effect	lessen the momentum or velocity of
make less severe or harsh	make vapid or deprive of spirit
protect from impact	convert (metallic mercury) into a grey powder consisting of minute globules, as by shaking with chalk or fatty oil
make (images or sounds) soft or softer	make vague or obscure or make (an image) less visible
give in, as to influence or pressure	cut a girdle around so as to kill by interrupting the circulation of water and nutrients