Definition Definition

soft - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'soft' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Soft [ adv.]
- Softly; without roughness or harshness; gently; quietly.
2 . Soft [ interj.]
- Be quiet; hold; stop; not so fast.
3 . Soft [ n.]
- A soft or foolish person; an idiot.
4 . Soft [ superl.]
- 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)

1 . soft [ a]
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
Example in sentence:
  • soft music;
  • soft voices
Meaning (4):
- not protected against attack (especially by nuclear weapons)
Example in sentence:
  • soft targets
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
6 . soft [ r]
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
7 . soft [ s]
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