softball

See also: soft ball and soft-ball

English

A softball.

A softball game.

Etymology

1926: soft +‎ ball. Compare hardball.

Pronunciation

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

softball (countable and uncountable, plural softballs)

1. (sports) A game similar to baseball but played with a larger and softer ball which can be thrown overhand or underhand.
   • 1996, Andrew Heller, Come Heller High Water, →ISBN, page 55:

     This will give you someone with whom you can trade softball complaints, which any veteran game-goer will tell you is the key to a good time.

2. (sports) The ball used to play the sport.
3. (by analogy, also attibutive) A question designed to be easy to answer.

   a softball interview

   • 2004 October 9, James Bennett, “In a Disguised Gym, Softballs and Political Drama”, in The New York Times‎^[1]:

     Each man got his share of softballs on Friday night. But for 90 minutes in a dressed-up basketball arena at Washington University, the two candidates were also forced to address the kind of questions they get rarely if ever on the campaign trail: from voters who doubted them and maybe did not even like them very much.

   • 2025 December 20, Richard Fausset, Ken Bensinger, quoting Ben Shapiro, “Turning Point’s Annual Gathering Turns Into a Gripefest”, in The New York Times‎^[2], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC:

     He [Ben Shapiro] wielded a particularly pointed arrow at Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News host, for engaging in what he said was “an act of moral imbecility,” by recently airing a softball interview with Nick Fuentes, an avowed antisemite.

     (Can we archive this URL?)

Synonyms

• diamond ball
• indoor baseball
• kittenball
• mush ball
• playground ball
• pumpkin ball
• town ball

Hypernyms

ball

• ball

sport

• sport

Coordinate terms

• baseball
• cricket
• hardball
• rounders
• town ball
• towne ball

Derived terms

• softballer

Descendants

• → Finnish: softball
• French: → softball, → balle molle (calque)
• → Portuguese: softbol
• → Spanish: softball

Translations

game

• Afrikaans: softbal, sagtebal
• Bulgarian: со́фтбол m (sóftbol)
• Catalan: softbol (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 壘球 / 垒球 (zh) (lěiqiú)

• Dutch: softbal (nl) n
• Finnish: softball (fi)
• French: softball (fr) m, (Canada) balle-molle (fr) f
• German: Softball (de) m
• Hungarian: softball (hu)
• Irish: láimhe (ga) m
• Japanese: ソフトボール (ja) (sofutobōru), 塁球 (ja) (ruikyū)
• Korean: 소프트볼 (sopeuteubol)
• Latvian: softbols m
• Lithuanian: mažàsis bei̇̃sbolas, sòftbolas m
• Māori: poiuka
• Navajo: jooł yikalí
• Polish: softball (pl) m
• Portuguese: softball (pt) m, softbol (pt) m
• Romanian: softball n
• Russian: софтбо́л (ru) m (softból)
• Spanish: sófbol m
• Vietnamese: bóng mềm (vi)

ball

• Bulgarian: софтболна топка f (softbolna topka)
• Dutch: softbal (nl) m
• Finnish: softball-pallo
• French: softball (fr) m
• Hungarian: softball-labda
• Polish: piłka do softballu f

Finnish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English softball.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsoftboːl/, [ˈs̠o̞f.t̪bo̞ːl]
• Rhymes: -oftboːl
• Syllabification^(key): soft‧ball
• Hyphenation^(key): soft‧ball

Noun

softball

1. softball

Declension

Inflection of softball (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative		softball	softballit
genitive		softballin	softballien
partitive		softballia	softballeja
illative		softballiin	softballeihin
		singular	plural
nominative		softball	softballit
accusative	nom.	softball	softballit
	gen.	softballin
genitive		softballin	softballien
partitive		softballia	softballeja
inessive		softballissa	softballeissa
elative		softballista	softballeista
illative		softballiin	softballeihin
adessive		softballilla	softballeilla
ablative		softballilta	softballeilta
allative		softballille	softballeille
essive		softballina	softballeina
translative		softballiksi	softballeiksi
abessive		softballitta	softballeitta
instructive		—	softballein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of softball (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative softballini softballini accusative nom. softballini softballini gen. softballini genitive softballini softballieni partitive softballiani softballejani inessive softballissani softballeissani elative softballistani softballeistani illative softballiini softballeihini adessive softballillani softballeillani ablative softballiltani softballeiltani allative softballilleni softballeilleni essive softballinani softballeinani translative softballikseni softballeikseni abessive softballittani softballeittani instructive — — comitative — softballeineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative softballisi softballisi accusative nom. softballisi softballisi gen. softballisi genitive softballisi softballiesi partitive softballiasi softballejasi inessive softballissasi softballeissasi elative softballistasi softballeistasi illative softballiisi softballeihisi adessive softballillasi softballeillasi ablative softballiltasi softballeiltasi allative softballillesi softballeillesi essive softballinasi softballeinasi translative softballiksesi softballeiksesi abessive softballittasi softballeittasi instructive — — comitative — softballeinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative softballimme softballimme accusative nom. softballimme softballimme gen. softballimme genitive softballimme softballiemme partitive softballiamme softballejamme inessive softballissamme softballeissamme elative softballistamme softballeistamme illative softballiimme softballeihimme adessive softballillamme softballeillamme ablative softballiltamme softballeiltamme allative softballillemme softballeillemme essive softballinamme softballeinamme translative softballiksemme softballeiksemme abessive softballittamme softballeittamme instructive — — comitative — softballeinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative softballinne softballinne accusative nom. softballinne softballinne gen. softballinne genitive softballinne softballienne partitive softballianne softballejanne inessive softballissanne softballeissanne elative softballistanne softballeistanne illative softballiinne softballeihinne adessive softballillanne softballeillanne ablative softballiltanne softballeiltanne allative softballillenne softballeillenne essive softballinanne softballeinanne translative softballiksenne softballeiksenne abessive softballittanne softballeittanne instructive — — comitative — softballeinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative softballinsa softballinsa accusative nom. softballinsa softballinsa gen. softballinsa genitive softballinsa softballiensa partitive softballiaan softballiansa softballejaan softballejansa inessive softballissaan softballissansa softballeissaan softballeissansa elative softballistaan softballistansa softballeistaan softballeistansa illative softballiinsa softballeihinsa adessive softballillaan softballillansa softballeillaan softballeillansa ablative softballiltaan softballiltansa softballeiltaan softballeiltansa allative softballilleen softballillensa softballeilleen softballeillensa essive softballinaan softballinansa softballeinaan softballeinansa translative softballikseen softballiksensa softballeikseen softballeiksensa abessive softballittaan softballittansa softballeittaan softballeittansa instructive — — comitative — softballeineen softballeinensa

French

Alternative forms

• soft-ball, soft ball

Etymology

Borrowed from English softball.

Pronunciation

• Audio (France (Agen)):

  (file)

Noun

softball m (countable and uncountable, plural softballs)

1. (sports) softball (“sport”): a variant of baseball
2. (sports) softball (“ball”): a ball used in the sport of softball

Synonyms

• balle de molle f
• balle molle f

ball

• balle de balle de molle f
• balle de balle-molle f
• balle de soft-ball f

Hypernyms

sport

• sport

ball

• balle

Polish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *sem-

Proto-Germanic *samþuz / *samftuz

Proto-Germanic *-jaz

Proto-West Germanic *-ī

Proto-West Germanic *samft(ī)

Old English sōfte

Middle English softe

English soft

Proto-Indo-European *bʰel-der.

Proto-Germanic *balluz

Old English *beall

Middle English bal

English ball

English softballubor.

Polish softball

Unadapted borrowing from English softball.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɔvd.bɔl/
• Rhymes: -ɔvdbɔl
• Syllabification: soft‧ball

Noun

softball m inan (related adjective softballowy)

1. softball (game similar to baseball but played with a larger and softer ball which can be thrown overhand or underhand)

Declension

Declension of softball

	singular
nominative	softball
genitive	softballa/softballu
dative	softballowi
accusative	softballa/softballu
instrumental	softballem
locative	softballu
vocative	softballu

Derived terms

nouns

• softballista
• softballistka

Further reading

• “softball”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[3] (in Polish)

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English softball.

Noun

softball m (uncountable)

1. alternative form of softbol

Spanish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English softball.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsofdbol/ [ˈsovð̞.β̞ol], /ˈsofbol/ [ˈsov.β̞ol]
• Rhymes: -ofdbol, -ofbol

Noun

softball m (uncountable)

1. softball

Usage notes

According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.