soft-shoe

1 7.0

A style of dance with smooth, light steps done while wearing soft, quiet shoes

noun
/ˈsɔftˌʃu/

: zapato de baile suave

In her dance class, she learned to master the soft-shoe, which emphasizes fluid movements over loud taps.

Examples

I can't even get in today to make a bet. "What did you do, Mooch?" He shifted his weight unhappily from side to side, as if about to break into a little soft-shoe.

Fiction book (1990)
Before settling on a man, Desmond, doing a soft-shoe.

Fiction book (1990)
During the performance, the dancer showcased her skills with a graceful soft-shoe routine that captivated the audience.
He impressed everyone at the party when he effortlessly performed a soft-shoe dance to the jazz music.

Synonyms

soft-shoe dancing

vssoft-shoe

6.6

A smooth, graceful tap dance done in shoes with soft soles

focuses on very light steps with little or no loud tapping

soft-shoe shuffle

vssoft-shoe

7.5

A smooth, gentle tap dance that uses soft-soled shoes

emphasizes light sound and overall grace rather than specific patterned steps

How Loud

tap dance

4 3.0

soft-shoe

1 7.0

ballet

240 3.3

Surface Forms

soft-shoe singular

soft-shoes plural

Morphology

soft-shoe = soft + shoe (semi-transparent) = soft + shoe

The components 'soft' and 'shoe' are literal and identifiable, but the sense refers to a dance style performed in soft-soled shoes, a specialized usage not immediately deducible as a general rule by all learners.

Etymology

Soft-shoe comes from the two simple words soft and shoe, where soft means 'quiet' or 'gentle'. It names a style of tap dancing done in soft-soled shoes with smooth, light steps and little or no loud tapping, so the name helps you remember the dance's gentle sound and movement.