softy

softy — noun

1. someone who shows feelings of love, sympathy, or sadness very easily, and who is

1.nounB1
Definition

someone who shows feelings of love, sympathy, or sadness very easily, and who is gentle and kind rather than strict or tough.

Example

Hyun's father is a big softy who cries every time he watches a sad movie.

big softy — common intensifier pattern

The teacher is a softy at heart and never gives her students detention.

softy at heart — common collocation

Common collocations
  • a big softy
  • an old softy
  • a real softy
  • a softy at heart
Synonyms
  • sentimentalist

    more formal; focuses on being easily moved by tender feelings

  • tenderheart

    rare; strongly positive, emphasises gentleness

  • pushover

    negative tone; suggests the person is too easily persuaded, not just kind

Antonyms
  • hardliner

    someone who refuses to compromise; opposite of flexible and forgiving

  • toughie

    informal antonym; someone who shows no weak feelings

Grammar Patterns

a softy

be a (big/old) softy

Usage Note

Often used affectionately or jokingly about someone who is more sympathetic than they try to appear. Common in the phrases 'a big softy' and 'a softy at heart'.

Common Mistakes

My brother is a soft guy.' (When meaning he is kind and emotional.)
My brother is a softy.
'soft guy' is not a natural expression; 'softy' is the right noun.
She is a softy person.
She is a softy.
'Softy' already means 'a person', so it is not used before 'person'.

2. someone who cannot cope with difficulty or pressure, and is therefore seen by ot

2.nounB2
Definition

someone who cannot cope with difficulty or pressure, and is therefore seen by other people as weak or foolish.

Example

Mayumi called him a softy for quitting after just one day of training camp.

called him a softy — pattern of labelling someone

The other kids teased Aylin as a softy because she was afraid of the dark.

Common collocations
  • called a softy
  • a softy
Synonyms
  • wimp

    stronger insult; implies cowardice rather than general weakness

  • weakling

    more direct; emphasises lack of physical strength

  • coward

    specifically about fear, not general lack of strength

Antonyms
  • tough guy

    someone everyone sees as strong and fearless

  • hardy person

    someone able to endure hardship without complaint

Grammar Patterns

a softy

be a softy

Usage Note

This sense is often used as an insult or criticism, especially among children and teenagers. Unlike sense 1, there is no affectionate tone here — calling someone a softy in this sense mocks their perceived weakness.

Common Mistakes

He is a softy who always helps others.' (When meaning he is kind.)
He is a softy who gives in to every request.
If the tone is critical, the context must show weakness, not kindness.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Softy, sentimentalist, and pushover all describe someone who is easily moved emotionally or easily persuaded, but they differ in tone and use. 'Softy' is warm and informal — you might call a friend or family member a softy affectionately. 'Sentimentalist' is more formal and neutral; it describes someone who values tender feelings or nostalgia, but lacks the personal, teasing quality of 'softy'. 'Pushover' is clearly negative: it focuses on how easily someone is convinced to do things they do not really want to do, often because they cannot say no. Someone can be a softy without being a pushover (they cry at movies but still stand their ground in an argument), but a pushover is nearly always a softy in the weak sense.

softy ↗sentimentalistpushover

Common collocations

Phrases

  • a big softy
  • an old softy
  • a real softy
  • a softy at heart
  • such a softy

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Formed by adding the diminutive suffix '-y' to the adjective 'soft', which originally carried the sense of 'gentle, tender, not harsh'. The noun appeared in the mid-1800s as a playful or affectionate term for someone who is softhearted. By the early 1900s it had also developed the critical meaning of a weak or cowardly person.