English Lexicon

Soft

/sɒft/
adjectiveCEFR A2 (Elementary)Top #450 frequency
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Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As adjective
  1. 1

    Having a smooth, pleasing texture; not hard or rough.

    "The blanket is made of soft wool, making it very comfortable."
  2. 2

    Gentle or mild in nature; not harsh or severe.

    "She spoke in a soft voice to avoid waking the baby."

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Synonyms (3)
Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the Old English 'sōfte', meaning quietly, pleasantly, or gently, originating from the Proto-Germanic '*samftijaz' meaning 'soft' or 'smooth'. Over centuries, the meaning broadened from denoting physical ease and comfort to describing tactile malleability and lack of hardness.

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