Definition of soft
1 a
: pleasing or agreeable to the senses : bringing ease, comfort, or quiet
- the soft influences of home
b
: having a bland or mellow rather than a sharp or acid taste
c (1)
: not bright or glaring : subdued
(2)
: having or producing little contrast or a relatively short range of tones
- a soft photographic print
d
: quiet in pitch or volume
e
of the eyes
: having a liquid or gentle appearance
f
: smooth or delicate in texture, grain, or fiber
- soft cashmere
- soft fur
g (1)
: balmy, mild, or clement in weather or temperature
(2)
: moving or falling with slight force or impact : not violent
- soft breezes
2
: demanding little work or effort : easy
- a soft job
3 a
: sounding as in ace and gem respectively
—used of c and g or their sound
c
: constituting a vowel before which there is a \y\ sound or a \y\-like modification of a consonant or constituting a consonant in whose articulation there is a \y\-like modification or which is followed by a \y\ sound (as in Russian)
4
archaic
: moving in a leisurely manner
5
: rising gradually
- a soft slope
6
: having curved or rounded outline : not harsh or jagged
- soft hills against the horizon
7
: marked by a gentleness, kindness, or tenderness: such as
a (1)
: not harsh or onerous in character
- a policy of soft competition
(2)
: based on negotiation, conciliation, or flexibility rather than on force, threats, or intransigence
- took a soft line during the crisis
(3)
: tending to take a soft line
—usually used with on
- soft on dictators
- soft on law and order
c
: marked by mildness : unassuming, low-key
8 a
: emotionally suggestible or responsive : impressionable
b
: unduly susceptible to influence : compliant
d
: amorously attracted or emotionally involved
—used with on
- has been soft on her for years
9 a
: lacking robust strength, stamina, or endurance especially because of living in ease or luxury
- grown soft and indolent
b
: weak or deficient mentally
- soft in the head
10 a
: yielding to physical pressure
b
: permitting someone or something to sink in
—used of wet ground
c (1)
: of a consistency that may be shaped or molded
(2)
: capable of being spread
d
: easily magnetized and demagnetized
e
: lacking relatively or comparatively in hardness
- soft iron
11
: deficient in or free from substances (such as calcium and magnesium salts) that prevent lathering of soap
- soft water
12
: having relatively low energy
- soft X-rays
13
of news
: relatively less serious or significant
14
: occurring at such a speed and under such circumstances as to avoid destructive impact
- soft landing of a spacecraft on the moon
15
: not protected against enemy attack
- a soft aboveground launching site
- soft targets
16
: biodegradable
- a soft detergent
- soft pesticides
17
of a drug
: considered less detrimental than a hard narcotic
18
: easily polarized
—used of acids and bases
19 a
of currency
: not readily convertible
b
of a loan
: not secured by collateral
21
: not firmly committed
- soft unreliable political support
22
: soft-core
- soft porn
23 a
: being or based on interpretive or speculative data
- soft evidence
b
: utilizing or based on soft data
- soft science
24
: being or using renewable sources of energy (such as solar radiation, wind, or tides)
- soft technologies
25
of money
: contributed (as by a corporation) to a political party rather than directly to a particular candidate
