soft
soft — noun
1. the part of something that is not hard, often the inner or fleshy area surrounde
the part of something that is not hard, often the inner or fleshy area surrounded by tougher material — for example, the cushioned middle of a bread roll or the fleshy area of the palm.
Diya pressed her thumb into the soft of the avocado to check if it was ripe.
the soft of + [object] for inner fleshy part
Kian felt a small lump in the soft of his upper arm and went to see a doctor.
The kitten dug its tiny claws into the soft of the old woollen blanket.
Andrés tore off the crust and gave Iris the soft of the bread roll.
the soft of + [bread/fruit] for the inner part
The nurse gently pinched the soft of Eitan's earlobe before inserting the small earring.
- the soft of the arm
- the soft of the palm
- the soft of the bread
- press into the soft of
- fleshy part
more common everyday wording for body areas
- pad
used for thicker cushioned areas like the pad of a finger
- hard part
the firmer surrounding region, e.g. bone or crust
Grammar Patterns
the soft of [body part / object]
Usage Note
Rare in modern English; usually appears in the fixed pattern 'the soft of [a body part or object]'. Distinct from the adjective uses, which describe the whole thing as soft rather than naming a region.
Common Mistakes
soft — adjective
1. able to be pushed in, bent, or shaped without much force, rather than feeling fi
able to be pushed in, bent, or shaped without much force, rather than feeling firm or rigid.
Ilan sank into the soft armchair and closed his eyes.
soft + furniture noun: typical collocation
The bread is still warm and soft in the middle.
Salma pressed her thumb into the soft clay to test it.
soft + material that can be shaped
Wear shoes with soft soles for the long hike up Mount Hua.
The peaches at the market were too soft to carry home in a bag.
predicative use: be soft (often = overripe of fruit)
- soft pillow
- soft clay
- soft cheese
- soft soles
- go soft
Usage Note
Often paired with foods, materials, and furniture. With fruit it can imply overripe rather than simply not hard.
Common Mistakes
2. smooth and gentle on the skin, with no rough or scratchy feeling.
smooth and gentle on the skin, with no rough or scratchy feeling.
The kitten had soft white fur that tickled Christopher's chin.
soft + body covering / texture noun
Nia wrapped the baby in a soft cotton blanket.
Her grandmother's hands were warm and soft against her cheek.
The hotel's towels felt unusually soft after years of cheap motels.
feel + soft: judging texture by touch
Renata loves walking barefoot on the soft grass behind her house.
- soft fur
- soft skin
- soft fabric
- soft towel
- soft hair
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about the skin's reaction (smooth, gentle) rather than how easily the thing bends under pressure.
3. physically weak and not used to hard exercise or tough conditions, often because
physically weak and not used to hard exercise or tough conditions, often because of an easy lifestyle.
Tara had grown soft after two years working from her sofa.
go / grow / get soft: change of state
The new recruits were soft and could barely finish the morning run.
Three winters in a heated office had made Élise soft.
make + someone + soft: cause to lose fitness
Don't let city life make you soft, the climbing instructor warned Ada.
- go soft
- get soft
- grow soft
- out of shape
neutral phrase; lacking fitness from inactivity
- unfit
British English; not in good physical condition
- flabby
informal and disapproving; soft and lacking firm muscle
Usage Note
Predicative use is normal ('he's gone soft'); attributive use ('a soft person') usually means sense 5 instead. Often slightly disapproving.
Common Mistakes
4. low in volume, brightness, or strength so that it does not disturb the senses —
low in volume, brightness, or strength so that it does not disturb the senses — used of sounds, lights, colours, weather, and movements.
Heather spoke in a soft voice so the baby would not wake up.
soft + voice / tone: quiet but pleasant
A soft yellow light glowed from the lamp on Manuela's desk.
soft + colour / light: gentle on the eyes
There was a soft knock at the door just after midnight.
soft + impact noun (knock, tap, breeze)
A soft breeze blew across the lake as Diya rowed slowly back to shore.
The painting uses soft greens and blues to give the room a calm feeling.
- soft voice
- soft light
- soft music
- soft breeze
- soft colours
Usage Note
Often carries a positive feeling of comfort or calm; the contrast with this sense is 'loud, bright, harsh' depending on the noun, not 'hard'.
5. willing to forgive, negotiate, or accept too much, instead of being firm when de
willing to forgive, negotiate, or accept too much, instead of being firm when dealing with people who behave badly or with serious problems.
Critics say the new mayor is too soft on petty crime in Bilal's neighbourhood.
soft on + problem / wrongdoer
Don't be soft on the kids just because they cried, Cyrus told his husband.
soft on + person
The judge took a soft line with first-time offenders under twenty.
take a soft line: idiomatic phrase
Linh thought her boss was far too soft and let lazy staff get away with everything.
- soft on crime
- soft on drugs
- soft approach
- soft line
- go soft on
- lenient
more formal; merciful in punishment, often neutral or positive
- easy-going
positive; relaxed about rules in a friendly way
- permissive
allowing too much freedom, especially to children
Grammar Patterns
soft on + noun
Usage Note
Almost always disapproving. The pattern 'soft on X' marks who or what the leniency is directed at; without 'on', the whole approach or person is being judged.
Common Mistakes
6. needing very little effort or hard work, especially compared with what other peo
needing very little effort or hard work, especially compared with what other people have to do.
Nikos landed a soft job answering emails three hours a day.
soft job / soft option: easy compared with peers
Compared to nursing nights, the front desk role was a soft option for Mira.
a soft option: a noticeably easier choice
Dario was tired of his cousins teasing him about his soft life in Madrid.
A two-hour exam with open notes is pretty soft, the students agreed.
predicative: be soft (of a task)
- soft job
- soft option
- soft life
- soft touch (job)
- easy
the most general word; not difficult to do
- cushy
informal; comfortable and not demanding
- undemanding
more formal; requiring little effort or skill
Usage Note
Frequent set phrases: 'a soft job', 'a soft option', 'a soft life'. Often used with mild envy or disapproval, suggesting the person hasn't earned it.
7. describing tap water that has very few mineral salts in it, so soap lathers up q
describing tap water that has very few mineral salts in it, so soap lathers up quickly and washing leaves no white marks.
Elena prefers washing her hair in soft water because shampoo rinses out cleanly.
attributive: soft water as noun phrase
Most homes in western Scotland have soft water flowing straight from the hills.
The plumber installed a filter to turn the hard tap supply into soft water.
collocation: soft water vs hard water
Soft water lets a small amount of detergent produce plenty of foam in the sink.
- soft water
- soft tap water
- softened water
- hard
the standard opposite — 'hard water' contains many calcium and magnesium salts.
Grammar Patterns
soft + water
Usage Note
Almost always attributive in the fixed phrase 'soft water'. Contrasts directly with 'hard water'; the two terms are usually taught as a pair.
Common Mistakes
8. describing illegal recreational drugs, like cannabis, that many people regard as
describing illegal recreational drugs, like cannabis, that many people regard as carrying a lower risk of harm or addiction than substances such as heroin or cocaine.
The Netherlands has long taken a relaxed approach to soft drugs sold in coffee shops.
attributive: soft drugs as a category label
Christopher argued that the law should treat soft drugs differently from heroin and crack.
Critics warn that soft drugs can still be a gateway to more harmful substances.
collocation: soft drugs vs hard drugs
Police in the city now focus on dealers of hard drugs rather than users of soft drugs.
- soft drugs
- soft drug use
- soft drug offences
- hard
'hard drugs' refers to substances seen as highly addictive or dangerous, such as heroin or cocaine.
Grammar Patterns
soft + drug(s)
Usage Note
Attributive only, almost always in the plural 'soft drugs'. Implies a contrast with 'hard drugs'; the label reflects public perception, not a medical or legal classification.
Common Mistakes
9. describing a market, economy, currency, or sales figure that is sluggish — there
describing a market, economy, currency, or sales figure that is sluggish — there are too few buyers, demand is dropping, and prices or values tend to slide downward.
Holiday sales were unusually soft this December, so Heloísa cut prices on every bag in the store.
collocation: soft sales / soft demand
Demand for new flats in Hong Kong has been soft since interest rates climbed.
The Turkish lira went soft against the dollar after the central bank's surprise announcement.
pattern: go soft + against [currency]
Analysts at the bank expect a soft housing market through the rest of the year.
- soft market
- soft economy
- soft demand
- soft sales
- soft currency
- soft housing market
Grammar Patterns
soft + market/economy/demand/sales/currency
go soft
Usage Note
Business-page register. Subjects are usually market, economy, demand, sales, prices, or a named currency — not concrete goods. Often paired with verbs like 'remain', 'go', or 'turn' soft.
Common Mistakes
10. of a person or their feelings: warm, easily moved by other people's troubles, an
of a person or their feelings: warm, easily moved by other people's troubles, and sometimes a little too willing to give in or be persuaded.
Tariq is so soft about animals that he stops the car for every stray dog.
pattern: soft + about + [topic]
Yael has always been soft on her youngest grandson and lets him stay up late.
pattern: soft + on + somebody
Behind his stern face, the headmaster has a surprisingly soft heart.
collocation: soft heart
Don't ask Amani to turn down a beggar — she's far too soft for that.
predicative: too soft (to refuse)
- soft heart
- soft on somebody
- soft about somebody
- have a soft spot for
- tender-hearted
near-identical and unambiguously positive.
- compassionate
more formal; emphasises active concern rather than easy emotion.
- sentimental
stresses being moved by emotion; can imply over-the-top feelings.
- hard-hearted
unfeeling toward others' pain — the natural opposite of soft-hearted.
- tough
emotionally resilient; not easily swayed by pity.
Grammar Patterns
soft + on/about + somebody
have a soft spot for somebody
Usage Note
Carries a mild double edge: the tender-hearted reading is positive, but in some contexts the same wording suggests a person is a pushover. Distinguish from sense 5 ('not strict, severe, or forceful enough'), which describes a policy or response rather than a person's nature.
Common Mistakes
to feel a special liking or fondness for a particular person or thing, often without being able to fully explain why.
Grandma always had a soft spot for the youngest grandchild and slipped him extra cookies.
Even the strict principal has a soft spot for the school's old cherry tree.
soft — adverb
1. in a quiet, gentle, or tender way; this is an older or poetic form of 'softly' t
in a quiet, gentle, or tender way; this is an older or poetic form of 'softly' that now mostly survives in fixed expressions, song lyrics, and folk speech.
The grandfather always trod soft when the baby was sleeping in the next room.
verb of motion + soft (= softly)
Arjun told the children to speak soft so they would not wake their father.
speak + soft, informal imperative pattern
Mayumi played soft on the piano while the guests finished their dessert.
play + soft, used with music verbs
Walk soft through the temple courtyard and keep your voice low.
imperative + soft, literary or folk register
Imani sang soft to the puppy until it stopped trembling in her arms.
sing + soft (= softly)
- tread soft
- speak soft
- play soft
- sing soft
- walk soft
Grammar Patterns
verb + soft
Usage Note
Modern standard English strongly prefers 'softly' for this meaning; the bare adverb 'soft' now survives mainly in poetry, song lyrics, dialect, and a few set verb pairings (tread soft, speak soft, play soft, sing soft). In formal writing, choose 'softly' instead.
Common Mistakes
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/4
When describing things that do not disturb the senses, these five adjectives overlap but each has its own focus. 'Soft' is the broadest: it works for sounds, lights, colours, breezes, and movements, and often suggests pleasant comfort. 'Gentle' shifts attention from the thing itself to the way it acts on you — a gentle breeze, a gentle voice — and can describe people too. 'Mild' is preferred for weather, flavours, and reactions that are weaker than expected (a mild winter, a mild headache). 'Smooth' focuses on an even surface or motion, not on volume or intensity. 'Tender' is mostly reserved for feelings, touches, and well-cooked food. So you can say 'a soft voice' or 'a gentle voice', but for 'a mild curry' or 'a tender hug', the others would sound odd.
Common collocations
Nouns
- soft voice
- soft music
- soft light
- soft breeze
- soft skin
- soft heart
- soft drink
- soft option
Adverbs
- very soft
- extremely soft
- unusually soft
- incredibly soft
- remarkably soft
Phrases
- go soft
- have a soft spot for
- take a soft line
- be soft on
- soft in the head
Prepositions
- soft on
- soft about
- soft against
- soft to the touch
Etymology
From Old English 'sōfte', meaning agreeable, calm, or gentle. The original sense was about a pleasant feeling — kindness, comfort, ease — rather than physical squishiness. Over the centuries the word also took on the touch-based meaning (not hard, not rough) we know today, while keeping the older emotional senses in phrases like 'soft heart' and 'soft on someone'. Related Germanic roots gave Dutch 'zacht' and German 'sanft'.