The antonyms of the term "case-hardening" are words like softening, weakening, and tenderizing. These words represent the opposite meaning of case-hardening and indicate the process of making something soft, pliable, or malleable, rather than rigid or resistant to external forces. Other antonyms might include words like loosening, loosening up, and relaxing, which convey a sense of becoming less rigid or stiff. Each of these antonyms, in turn, may have its own additional connotations and nuances, depending on the context and usage of the word in question.