soft
English
/sɔft/, /sɑft/, /sɒft/, /sɔːft/
adj
Definitions
- Easily giving way under pressure.
- (of cloth or similar material) Smooth and flexible; not rough, rugged, or harsh.
- (of a sound) Quiet.
- Gentle.
- Expressing gentleness or tenderness; mild; conciliatory; courteous; kind.
- Gentle in action or motion; easy.
- Weak in character; impressible.
- Requiring little or no effort; easy.
- Not bright or intense.
- Having a slight angle from straight.
- (linguistics) Voiced; sonant.
- (linguistics) voiceless
- (linguistics) palatalized
- (slang) Lacking strength or resolve; not tough, wimpy.
- (of water) Low in dissolved calcium compounds.
- (UK) Foolish.
- (physics) Of a ferromagnetic material; a material that becomes essentially non-magnetic when an external magnetic field is removed, a material with a low magnetic coercivity. (compare hard)
- (of a person) Physically or emotionally weak.
- Incomplete, or temporary; not a full action.
- (UK) Effeminate.
- Agreeable to the senses.
- Not harsh or offensive to the sight; not glaring or jagged; pleasing to the eye.
- (photography) Made up of nonparallel rays, tending to wrap around a subject and produce diffuse shadows.
- (computing) Emulated with software; not physically real.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English softe (yielding, easy, soft, gentle) inherited from Old English sōfte inherited from *samftī (level, even, smooth, soft, gentle) derived from Proto-Indo-European *semptio-.
Origin
Proto-Indo-European
*semptio-
Gloss
Timeline
Distribution of cognates by language
Geogrpahic distribution of cognates
Cognates and derived terms
- Brexit English
- air English
- airsoft English
- back English
- backed English
- ball English
- bill English
- biosoftware English
- board English
- bottom English
- bound English
- box English
- coat English
- code English
- copy English
- cover English
- covered English
- fail English
- failsoft English
- gel English
- goods English
- head English
- headed English
- hearted English
- hypersoft English
- leaf English
- lock English
- microsoftware English
- minded English
- neurosoftware English
- nonsoftware English
- nose English
- oversoft English
- oversoften English
- oversoftly English
- paste English
- plus English
- resoften English
- robot English
- semisoft English
- shell English
- soft Brexit English
- soft copy English
- soft robot English
- soft tennis English
- soft-minded English
- soft-mindedly English
- soft-mindedness English
- softback English
- softbacked English
- softball English
- softballer English
- softbill English
- softboard English
- softbot English
- softbottom English
- softbound English
- softbox English
- softcoat English
- softcode English
- softcover English
- softcovered English
- soften English
- softenable English
- softener English
- softenest English
- softeneth English
- softening English
- softgel English
- softgoods English
- softhead English
- softheaded English
- softheadedly English
- softheadedness English
- softhearted English
- softheartedly English
- softheartedness English
- softie English
- softish English
- softleaf English
- softling English
- softlock English
- softly English
- softmodem English
- softness English
- softnose English
- softography English
- softpaste English
- softplus English
- softscape English
- softshell English
- softship English
- software English
- softwareless English
- softwarily English
- softwarization English
- softwater English
- softwear English
- softwood English
- softy English
- supersoft English
- telesoftware English
- tennis English
- ultrasoft English
- unsoft English
- water English
- wood English
- softa Finnish
- Sanftmut German
- Software German
- Sänfte German
- sanft German
- unsanft German
- szoftver Hungarian
- soft Italian
- software Italian
- fluweelzacht Dutch, Flemish
- onzacht Dutch, Flemish
- software Dutch, Flemish
- zacht Dutch, Flemish
- zachtaardig Dutch, Flemish
- zachtheid Dutch, Flemish
- zachtjes Dutch, Flemish
- zachtmoedig Dutch, Flemish
- zachtzinnig Dutch, Flemish
- soft French
- софтбо́л Russian
- софтбол Russian
- softball Spanish, Castilian
- software Spanish, Castilian
- *semptio- Proto-Indo-European
- softball Portuguese
- software Portuguese
- ソフト Japanese
- ソフトウェア Japanese
- ソフトカバー Japanese
- ソフトテニス Japanese
- ソフトボール Japanese
- sefte Old English
- softe Old English
- sōfte Old English
- softe Middle English
- softely Middle English
- softenen Middle English
- softnesse Middle English
- software Czech
- softver Serbo-Croatian
- софтвер Serbo-Croatian
- सॉफ़्टवेयर Hindi
- software Romanian, Moldavian, Moldovan
- ซอฟต์แวร์ Thai
- sachte Middle Dutch
- semfti Old High German
- sag Afrikaans
- software Norman
- софтуер Bulgarian
- semfte Middle High German
- ဆော့ဖ်ဝဲလ် Burmese
- *samftī gmw-pro
- safti Old Dutch
- sāfti Old Dutch
- софтвер Macedonian
- *sāfti Old Saxon
- softvér Slovak
- 소프트볼 Korean
- 소프트웨어 Korean
- सॉफ्टवेअर Marathi
- សូហ្វវែរ Central Khmer
- সফটওয়্যার Bengali
- sêft Western Frisian
- sefte Old Frisian
- sēfte Old Frisian
- softuér Venetian
- ሶፍትዌር Amharic
- softewere Northern Sotho
- air
- box
- gel
- bill
- code
- plus
- wood
- coat
- fail
- ball
- head
- lock
- back
- nose
- copy
- leaf
- robot
- bound
- water
- paste
- shell
- softy
- board
- goods
- cover
- tennis
- softie
- bottom
- minded
- headed
- unsoft
- softly
- soften
- backed
- Brexit
- softbot
- covered
- softgel
- softbox
- hearted
- softish
- airsoft
- softwear
- softhead
- softwood
- softener
- resoften
- failsoft
- softling
- semisoft
- oversoft
- softplus
- softcode
- softlock
- softback
- softbill
- softship
- softball
- softcoat
- software
- softleaf
- softness
- softnose
- hypersoft
- softgoods
- softening
- soft copy
- softscape
- softmodem
- softeneth
- softbound
- softboard
- softpaste
- softcover
- softenest
- softshell
- softwater
- supersoft
- ultrasoft
- softbacked
- oversoften
- soft robot
- softenable
- softwarily
- oversoftly
- softbottom
- softheaded
- softballer
- softography
- softcovered
- soft tennis
- soft Brexit
- soft-minded
- nonsoftware
- biosoftware
- softhearted
- telesoftware
- softwareless
- softheadedly
- soft-mindedly
- microsoftware
- neurosoftware
- softheartedly
- softheadedness
- softwarization
- soft-mindedness
- softheartedness