Soft
[sɒft] or [sɔft]
Definition
(adj.) not brilliant or glaring; 'the moon cast soft shadows'; 'soft pastel colors'; 'subdued lighting' .
(adj.) willing to negotiate and compromise .
(adj.) out of condition; not strong or robust; incapable of exertion or endurance; 'he was too soft for the army'; 'flabby around the middle'; 'flaccid cheeks' .
(adj.) yielding readily to pressure or weight .
(adj.) compassionate and kind; conciliatory; 'he was soft on his children' .
(adj.) (of speech sounds); produced with the back of the tongue raised toward the hard palate; characterized by a hissing or hushing sound (as `s' and `sh') .
(adj.) (of light) transmitted from a broad light source or reflected .
(adj.) (of sound) relatively low in volume; 'soft voices'; 'soft music' .
(adj.) not protected against attack (especially by nuclear weapons); 'soft targets' .
(adj.) using evidence not readily amenable to experimental verification or refutation; 'soft data'; 'the soft sciences' .
(adj.) (of a commodity or market or currency) falling or likely to fall in value; 'the market for computers is soft' .
Checked by Dale--From WordNet
Definition
(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.
(superl.) Not rough, rugged, or harsh to the touch; smooth; delicate; fine; as, soft silk; a soft skin.
(superl.) Hence, agreeable to feel, taste, or inhale; not irritating to the tissues; as, a soft liniment; soft wines.
(superl.) 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.
(superl.) Not harsh or rough in sound; gentle and pleasing to the ear; flowing; as, soft whispers of music.
(superl.) Easily yielding; susceptible to influence; flexible; gentle; kind.
(superl.) Expressing gentleness, tenderness, or the like; mild; conciliatory; courteous; kind; as, soft eyes.
(superl.) Effeminate; not courageous or manly, weak.
(superl.) Gentle in action or motion; easy.
(superl.) Weak in character; impressible.
(superl.) Somewhat weak in intellect.
(superl.) Quiet; undisturbed; paceful; as, soft slumbers.
(superl.) Having, or consisting of, a gentle curve or curves; not angular or abrupt; as, soft outlines.
(superl.) Not tinged with mineral salts; adapted to decompose soap; as, soft water is the best for washing.
(superl.) 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.
(superl.) 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.
(n.) A soft or foolish person; an idiot.
(adv.) Softly; without roughness or harshness; gently; quietly.
(interj.) Be quiet; hold; stop; not so fast.
Inputed by Erma
Synonyms and Synonymous
a. [1]. Impressible, yielding, not firm, not hard.[2]. Plastic, pliable, easily moulded.[3]. Smooth, delicate, fine, not rugged, not rough.[4]. Compliant, submissive, irresolute, facile.[5]. Mild, gentle, bland, kind, lenient, tender, not harsh, not severe.[6]. Simple, silly, foolish, weak.[7]. Quiet, easy, light.[8]. Mellifluous, dulcet, clear, flowing.
interj. Hold, stop, not so fast.
Checker: Muriel
Synonyms and Antonyms
SYN:Yielding, pressible, impressible, smooth, delicate, fine, sleek, glossy, mild,gentle, balmy, kind, feeling, flexible, effeminate, luxurious, unmanly, tender,irresolute, undecided
ANT:Hard, tough, stubborn, unyielding, rigid, unimpressible, rough, coarse, harsh,abrupt, ungentle, rigorous, cutting, severe, unkind, unfeeling, sharp,inflexible, stern, austere, ascetic, self-denying, resolute, determined
Checker: Phyllis
Definition
adj. easily yielding to pressure: easily cut or acted upon: malleable: not rough to the touch: smooth: pleasing or soothing to the senses: easily yielding to any influence: mild: sympathetic: gentle: effeminate: gentle in motion: easy: free from lime or salt as water: bituminous as opposed to anthracitic of coal: unsized of paper: wet rainy: warm enough to melt ice thawing: (phon.) pronounced with a somewhat sibilant sound not guttural or explosive: vocal or sonant: not bony cartilaginous not spinous: soft-rayed soft-shelled: of silk having the natural gum cleaned or washed off—opp. to Hard.—n. a silly person a fool.—adv. gently: quietly.—interj. hold! not so fast!—adjs. Soft′-bod′ied having a soft body; Soft′-con′scienced having a sensitive conscience.—v.t. Soft′en to make soft or softer: to mitigate: to tone down make less glaring make smoother in sound.—v.i. to grow soft or softer.—ns. Soft′ener; Soft′ening.—adjs. Soft′-eyed having gentle or tender eyes; Soft′-finned having no fin-spines.—n.pl. Soft′-goods cloth and cloth articles as opposed to hardware &c.—adjs. Soft′-hand′ed having soft hands unused to work slack in discipline; Soft′-head′ed of weak intellect; Soft′-heart′ed kind-hearted: gentle: meek.—n. Soft-heart′edness.—adj. Soft′ish rather soft.—adv. Soft′ly.—n. Soft′ness.—v.t. Soft′-saw′der (U.S.) to flatter blarney.—n. flattery.—v.t. Soft′-soap to flatter for some end.—n. flattery.—adj. Soft-spō′ken -voiced having a mild or gentle voice: mild affable.—n. Soft′y a silly person a weak fool.—A soft thing a snug place where the pay is good and the work light.
Typed by Elinor
Examples
- She had always a new bonnet on, and flowers bloomed perpetually in it, or else magnificent curling ostrich feathers, soft and snowy as camellias. William Makepeace Thackeray. Vanity Fair.
- His walk was soft; his voice was melancholy; his long lanky fingers were hooked like claws. Wilkie Collins. The Moonstone.
- The water pumps were at work again, and I am not sure that the soft-hearted Captain's eyes did not also twinkle. William Makepeace Thackeray. Vanity Fair.
- A cocoanut shell always has a soft spot at one end because this is the provision nature has made to allow the embryo of the future tree to push its way out of the hard shell. Various. The Wonder Book of Knowledge.
- From the interior a low soft breathing came to his ear. Thomas Hardy. The Return of the Native.
- No organism wholly soft can be preserved. Charles Darwin. On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.
- As soon as the current flows, the coils become magnetic and attract the soft iron armature, drawing it forward and causing the clapper to strike the bell. Bertha M. Clark. General Science.
- The soft-hearted cook added his intercession, and the result was that the man who had first appeared undertook its delivery. Charles Dickens. Oliver Twist.
- They were gazelles, of soft-eyed notoriety. Mark Twain. The Innocents Abroad.
- But nothing that could be done would prevent the rubber from getting soft in summer and hard and brittle in the winter. William Henry Doolittle. Inventions in the Century.
- Could softer motives influence me? Charlotte Bronte. Villette.
- There was another sound in her weeping--a softer, more regretful sound. Charlotte Bronte. Shirley.
- They spoke of feelings but guessed at by our softer nature; yet coloured by our sanguine minds even beyond reality. Harriette Wilson. The Memoirs of Harriette Wilson.
- Madame's resolute right hand was occupied with an axe, in place of the usual softer implements, and in her girdle were a pistol and a cruel knife. Charles Dickens. A Tale of Two Cities.
- Stiff, coarse straw will not answer unless packed very solid; finer and softer, as of thickly sown oats, is better, and the walls which it forms need not be quite so thick. William K. David. Secrets of Wise Men, Chemists and Great Physicians.
- Lily's feelings were softer: she pitied him in a frightened ineffectual way. Edith Wharton. The House of Mirth.
- No down was ever softer, no elixir more potent! Charlotte Bronte. Shirley.
- Not too strongly for the offencebut far, far too strongly to issue from any feeling softer than upright justice and clear-sighted goodwill. Jane Austen. Emma.
- The composition should be made somewhat softer for winter use than for summer, which can be done by adding a little larger proportion of glycerine. William K. David. Secrets of Wise Men, Chemists and Great Physicians.
- My breast is softer than the pauper-nurse's; death in my arms is peacefuller than among the pauper-wards. Charles Dickens. Our Mutual Friend.
- The softest gratitude animated her eye as she lifted it a moment. Charlotte Bronte. Villette.
- A taste for sweets, he said in his softest tones and his tenderest manner, is the innocent taste of women and children. Wilkie Collins. The Woman in White.
- The pond itself is full of gold and silver fish, and is encircled by a broad belt of the softest turf I ever walked on. Wilkie Collins. The Woman in White.
- Martin, said the softest whisper at the door, don't be foolish. Charlotte Bronte. Shirley.
Checked by Evan