soft
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also -soft
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[edit] English
[edit] Pronunciation
- (RP) enPR: sŏft, IPA: /sɒft/, SAMPA: /sQft/
- (US) enPR: säft, sôft, IPA: /sɑft/, /sɔft/, SAMPA: /sAft/, /sOft/
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Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -ɒft
[edit] Etymology
From Middle English softe (“soft, easy, gentle, yielding”), from Old English sōfte, alteration of earlier sēfte (“soft, gentle, easy, comfortable”), from Proto-Germanic *samftijaz (“level, even, smooth, soft, gentle”), from *somaz (“agreeable, fitting”), from Proto-Indo-European *sem- (“one, whole”). Cognate with Dutch zacht (“soft”), German sanft (“soft, yielding”), Old Norse sœmr (“agreeable, fitting”), Old Norse samr (“same”). More at seem, same.
[edit] Adjective
soft (comparative softer, superlative softest)
- Giving way under pressure.
- My head sank easily into the soft pillow.
- (of cloth or similar material) Smooth and flexible.
- Polish the silver with a soft cloth to avoid scratching.
- Gentle.
- There was a soft breeze blowing.
- Requiring little or no effort, easy
- a soft job
- Not bright or intense
- Soft lighting
- (of a road intersection) Having an acute angle.
- At the intersection, there are two roads going to the left. Take the soft left.
- (of a sound) Quiet.
- I could hear the soft rustle of the leaves in the trees.
- (linguistics) voiced, sonant
- DH represents the voiced (soft) th of English these clothes. — The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien
- (linguistics) (rare) voiceless
- (linguistics, Slavic languages) palatalized
- (slang) Lacking strength or resolve, wimpy.
- When it comes to drinking, he is as soft as they come.
- (of water) Low in dissolved calcium compounds.
- You won't need as much soap, as the water here is very soft.
- (Northern England, colloquial) 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.
[edit] Synonyms
- (of a cloth): non-abrasive, fluffy
- (gentle): gentle, light
- (of a sound): quiet
- (lacking strength or resolve): meek, mild, wimpy
- (foolish): daft, foolish, silly, stupid
[edit] Antonyms
- (giving way under pressure): hard, resistant, solid, stony
- (of a cloth): abrasive, scratchy
- (gentle): harsh, rough, strong
- (acute): hard
- (of a sound): loud
- (lacking strength or resolve): firm, strict, tough
- (of water): hard
- (foolish): sensible
[edit] Derived terms
Terms derived from soft
[edit] Translations
giving way under pressure
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of a cloth
gentle
of a sound
lacking strength or resolve
foolish — see foolish
[edit] See also
[edit] Statistics
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Most common English words before 1923: field · street · attempt · #830: soft · officers · likely · beneath
[edit] French
[edit] Etymology
From English soft
[edit] Noun
soft m. (plural softs)
- (sexuality) soft porn
- (computing) (uncountable) Software.
- (computing) (countable) A piece of software.
[edit] Adjective
- softcore (pornography)
[edit] Italian
[edit] Etymology
English
[edit] Adjective
soft inv.
- soft (tone etc; temporary (computing))
Categories:
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old English
- English terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English adjectives
- en:Linguistics
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- English slang
- Northern England English
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- en:Physics
- 1000 English basic words
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