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soft

soft

552 1.0
Easily pressed when you touch it
  • adjective
  • /sɔft/
translation icon : blando
  • The bristle heads are so soft and so gentle on my gums.
  • soft tissue
  • soft skin
  • hard and soft

That's where I was able to find some nice soft ermine.

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Examples

  • The cushions on the couch are wonderfully soft and comfortable to sit on.

  • It's soft, maybe a little bit too soft, but it's there-- all night.

  • Nice and soft in here.

  • Your hands are very soft.

  • Can't even tell you how soft my hair feels right now.

  • I am wearing the softest little sweater here ever.

  • The cushioning feels soft, feels very soft and plush.

  • The newborn calves and the Colts with soft hair and wobbly legs.

  • She prefers soft fabrics for her clothing because they feel gentle against her skin.

  • The baby's skin is incredibly soft, making it a joy to hold him close.

Synonyms

fuzzy
vssoft
44 1.1

Covered with soft light hairs like kitten fur

is broader, meaning not hard beyond just having fine surface hairs
squishy
vssoft
  • Informal
32 3.0

Soft and easy to squeeze, often a little wet and spongy

describes general lack of hardness without implying moisture or wetness
flabby
vssoft
20 3.7

Soft and loose areas of the body without firm muscle

refers more broadly to lack of firmness rather than poor muscle tone
flaccid
vssoft
14 7.3

Soft and limp, without firmness or strength

can mean not hard but also include general delicacy rather than limpness
spongy
vssoft
11 2.2

Soft and full of small holes that soak up liquid easily

means not hard but without the specific porous, absorbent quality
velvety
vssoft
11 3.8

Smooth and very soft in touch, look, sound, or taste

denotes not hard but without the specific smooth, rich surface quality
plush
vssoft
5 3.5

Very soft and thick to touch, making it comfortable to sit or lie on

means not hard but without the luxury or thickness emphasis
4 2.9

Soft and airy with small air pockets that make it not heavy

denotes not hard but focuses on light, airy structure rather than touch
1 2.8

Easy to press and feels like a sponge

is the simple sense of being not hard without extra pleasantness
cushiony
vssoft
1 3.0

Soft and comfortable because it has cushions or soft padding

covers not being hard but focuses less on comfort and more on delicacy
squeezable
vssoft
1 2.8

Easy to press by hand to change shape or let out what is inside

covers that ease of pressing but also denotes delicacy or weakness
squidgy
vssoft
  • UK
1 7.4

Soft and a little wet so you can squeeze it easily

means not hard but does not always imply wet or messy texture
1 2.5

Food that is soft to touch with a sticky, melted inside

means not hard but without the added stickiness or gooey quality
yielding
vssoft
3.9

Soft and easy to press or bend under weight

means not hard overall and often delicate or weak in feel
semisoft
vssoft
3.6

Partly soft but still a little firm

is the full idea of not hard, often more consistently yielding
softish
vssoft
3.0

Having a little give when you press it

expresses the basic not hard quality more clearly and fully
3.6

Very soft to the touch like velvet

is the general not hard sense without stressing that velvety richness
felty
vssoft
8.1

Soft and slightly fuzzy like a warm wool hat

means not hard but does not insist on the felt-like surface
7.0

Feels squishy and a little wet when pressed

covers yieldingness but not necessarily the wet, plopping quality

Antonyms

764 1.0

Firm and not easy to bend, break, or pierce

35 4.0

Does not bend because it is stiff

Idioms

35 8.0

Too kind to someone and not strict when they behave badly

Very soft to the touch like velvet

Compounds

40 1.0

A drink without alcohol that has bubbles, like soda or lemonade

soft money
  • Jargon
31 8.3

Funds people give to parties or groups to influence elections instead of giving it directly to candidates

soft spot
  • Informal
31 3.6

A strong liking for someone or something

soft spot
  • Informal
5 4.4

A weak part of a person, thing, or system that can be easily harmed

4 3.1

A warm, soft baked snack shaped like a twisted loop with coarse salt

soft palate
  • Specialized
3 5.7

Part at the back of the mouth that lifts to close the nose when you swallow or speak

A crab with a soft new shell that people often eat whole

soft spot
  • Specialized
2 6.1

A soft area on a baby's head where the skull bones have not joined

soft underbelly
  • Informal
2 6.7

A weak part of a plan or organization that others can easily take advantage of

1 3.9

A gentle way to encourage people to buy something

Easy to press and feels like a sponge

1 6.0

A market with more goods for sale than buyers, so sellers get lower prices

1 3.7

A gentle way of touching or handling people and objects

soft copy
  • Specialized
1 3.2

An electronic file of a document you view on a computer

1 2.9

A set of soft foods that people with chewing or swallowing problems can eat

Food that is soft to touch with a sticky, melted inside

soft drug
  • NSFW
1 4.8

A drug with mild effects, for example cannabis, that does not often cause addiction

soft goods
  • Jargon
1 3.0

Clothing, towels, sheets, and other fabric items sold in stores

1 1.3

A small round bread made with yeast that has a soft crust and soft inside

1 2.8

Light, flexible shoes worn for dancing or indoor use

soft soap
  • Informal
1 7.6

Insincere praise used to try to influence someone

soft water
  • Specialized
1 3.5

Water that contains few minerals and makes soap foam easily

1 3.3

A book with thin, flexible paper on the outside rather than a hard cover

A crab that recently shed its shell so it is soft and people eat it whole

soft-nosed
  • Specialized
1 8.2

A bullet with a soft tip that expands when it hits something to cause more damage

1 7.0

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

brown soft scale
  • Specialized
8.5

A small brown insect that lives on plants, drinks their juice and weakens them

A soft grass with velvety leaves that spreads across meadows and woods

soft coal
  • Specialized
6.1

A dark fuel that burns easily and makes a lot of smoke

soft corn
  • Specialized
5.6

Corn with kernels that are mostly soft and grind easily into flour

Feels squishy and a little wet when pressed

8.6

A tall water plant with long leaves and a brown, stick-like flower head

soft Muzak
  • Archaic
6.3

Quiet music without singing played in public places to make people feel calm

soft news
  • Literature
3.4

Stories that are entertaining or about people's lives, not serious events

A light warm yellow-brown color like soft sand

soft glass
  • Specialized
5.5

A type of glass that melts at a lower temperature and is easy to shape

soft glass
  • Specialized
7.6

A thick material of tiny particles that behaves like a solid and flows very slowly

A soft frozen dessert that comes from a machine, often in a cone

A plan that makes people or machines stop working without causing death and without causing damage

An easier choice people make to avoid hard work or trouble

soft ordnance
  • Specialized
7.8

A weapon that is not meant to kill people and is used for training and to control crowds

soft rot
  • Specialized
5.9

A mushy, slimy decay of plant parts caused by bacteria or fungi

8.9

A tall grass-like plant with soft upright stems that grows in wet places

soft sawder
  • Specialized
9.1

A metal that melts at low heat used to join metal parts, often in electronics

soft scale
  • Specialized
8.9

A small insect with a soft, waxy covering that lives on plant stems and leaves

A foot control on a piano that makes the sound softer

soft roe
  • Specialized
8.6

A soft, creamy part of a fish that holds sperm and people eat

A shadow with no sharp edges because the light spreads

A plant with soft feathery leaves that people grow in gardens for decoration

soft tick
  • Specialized
9.7

A small blood-sucking animal without a hard shell on its back that bites animals and birds

soft touch
  • Offensive
7.0

A person who easily agrees and can be taken advantage of

soft sign
  • Specialized
9.9

A Cyrillic letter that makes the consonant before it sound with the tongue near the roof of the mouth

3.7

A mild soap made from plant oils for sensitive skin

soft solder
  • Specialized
5.3

A metal that melts at low heat to join metals in pipes and electronics

soft tree fern
  • Australian
7.8

A tall fern with a trunk and feathery leaves that grows in cool, shady places

soft wheat
  • Specialized
3.0

A type of wheat with soft kernels used for cakes and cookies

A light, soft pale loaf often used for sandwiches and toast

Light that is white and gentle, not harsh on the eyes

A book with a flexible paper cover instead of a hard cover

soft-cast steel
  • Specialized
5.1

Steel with very little carbon that is easy to shape

A medium-sized Irish dog with a soft, light brown coat and a very hairy head

soft-finned
  • Specialized
8.1

With fins that are soft and flexible rather than hard and spiny

soft-finned fish
  • Specialized
7.2

A fish with soft, flexible fins like salmon

A water turtle with a flat soft shell that lives in rivers and lakes and bites hard

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

A small sea animal with a thin fragile shell that people eat

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

How Soft

plush
16 4.2
fluffy
77 1.0
soft
552 1.0
firm
30 1.0
hard
764 1.0

Surface Forms

soft positive
softer comparative
softest superlative

Etymology

Soft comes from an old German word meaning 'gentle' or 'easy to press', and it is the same base you see in soften, so think of something you can press gently with your finger — that's why soft means not hard or firm.