Meaning of 'soft' (Webster Dictionary)
- Softly; without roughness or harshness; gently; quietly.
- Be quiet; hold; stop; not so fast.
- A soft or foolish person; an idiot.
- Easily yielding to pressure; easily impressed, molded,
or cut; not firm in resisting; impressible; yielding; also, malleable;
-- opposed to hard; as, a soft bed; a soft peach; soft earth; soft wood
or metal.
- Not rough, rugged, or harsh to the touch; smooth;
delicate; fine; as, soft silk; a soft skin.
- Hence, agreeable to feel, taste, or inhale; not
irritating to the tissues; as, a soft liniment; soft wines.
- Not harsh or offensive to the sight; not glaring;
pleasing to the eye; not exciting by intensity of color or violent
contrast; as, soft hues or tints.
- Not harsh or rough in sound; gentle and pleasing to the
ear; flowing; as, soft whispers of music.
- Easily yielding; susceptible to influence; flexible;
gentle; kind.
- Expressing gentleness, tenderness, or the like; mild;
conciliatory; courteous; kind; as, soft eyes.
- Effeminate; not courageous or manly, weak.
- Gentle in action or motion; easy.
- Weak in character; impressible.
- Somewhat weak in intellect.
- Quiet; undisturbed; paceful; as, soft slumbers.
- Having, or consisting of, a gentle curve or curves; not
angular or abrupt; as, soft outlines.
- Not tinged with mineral salts; adapted to decompose
soap; as, soft water is the best for washing.
- Applied to a palatal, a sibilant, or a dental consonant
(as g in gem, c in cent, etc.) as distinguished from a guttural mute
(as g in go, c in cone, etc.); -- opposed to hard.
- Belonging to the class of sonant elements as
distinguished from the surd, and considered as involving less force in
utterance; as, b, d, g, z, v, etc., in contrast with p, t, k, s, f,
etc.
Meaning of 'soft' (Princeton's WordNet)
Meaning (1):
- produced with vibration of the vocal cords
Example in sentence:- a frequently voiced opinion;
- voiced consonants such as `b' and `g' and `z'
Meaning (2):
- compassionate and kind; conciliatory
Example in sentence:- he was soft on his children
Meaning (3):
- (of sound) relatively low in volume
Meaning (4):
- not protected against attack (especially by nuclear weapons)
Meaning (5):
- (used chiefly as a direction or description in music) soft; in a quiet, subdued tone
Example in sentence:- the piano passages in the composition
Meaning (6):
- in a relaxed manner; or without hardship
Example in sentence:- just wanted to take it easy;
- the judge went easy on the young defendant
Meaning (7):
- easily hurt
Example in sentence:- a baby's delicate skin;
- soft hands
Meaning (8):
- having little impact
Example in sentence:- a gentle breeze;
- a soft (or light) tapping at the window;
- an easy pat on the shoulder;
- gentle rain
Meaning (9):
- soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
Example in sentence:- a gentle reprimand;
- a vein of gentle irony;
- poked gentle fun at him
Meaning (10):
- mild and pleasant
Example in sentence:- a soft breeze;
- balmy days and nights;
- the climate was mild and conducive to life or growth
Meaning (11):
- not burdensome or demanding; borne or done easily and without hardship
Example in sentence:- a soft job;
- the easygoing life of a parttime consultant;
- what a cushy job!
Meaning (12):
- out of condition; not strong or robust; incapable of exertion or endurance
Example in sentence:- flabby around the middle;
- flaccid cheeks;
- he was too soft for the army
Meaning (13):
- tolerant or lenient
Example in sentence:- indulgent parents risk spoiling their children;
- they are soft on crime;
- too soft on the children
Meaning (14):
- using evidence not readily amenable to experimental verification or refutation
Example in sentence:- soft data;
- the soft sciences
Meaning (15):
- not brilliant or glaring
Example in sentence:- soft pastel colors;
- subdued lighting;
- the moon cast soft shadows
Meaning (16):
- (of a commodity or market or currency) falling or likely to fall in value
Example in sentence:- the market for computers is soft