soft

[[t]sɔft, sɒft[/t]]

adj. and adv. -er, -est, n. interj.

1) yielding readily to touch or pressure; not hard or stiff

2) mel relatively deficient in hardness, as metal or wood

3) smooth to the touch; not rough:

soft skin[/ex]

4) pleasant or comfortable:

a soft chair[/ex]

5) low or subdued in sound

6) not harsh or unpleasant to the eye:

soft light[/ex]

7) not hard or sharp:

soft outlines[/ex]

8) gentle or mild:

soft breezes[/ex]

9) not harsh or severe, as a penalty or demand

10) soft-hearted

11) not sturdy; delicate:

soft fabrics[/ex]

12) undemanding; easy, comfortable, etc.:

a soft job; a soft life[/ex]

13) weak, spiritless, etc., as from lack of effort or challenge:

We've grown soft with all these modern conveniences[/ex]

14) chem. (of water) relatively free from mineral salts that interfere with the action of soap

15) bus (of paper money or a monetary system) not supported by sufficient gold reserves and, usu., not easily convertible into a foreign currency

16) ecn bus (of a market, prices, etc.) declining in value, volume, etc.; weak

Compare firm I, 6)

17) cvb

soft-core

18) Photog.

a) pht (of a photographic image) having delicate gradations of tone

b) pht (of a focus) lacking in sharpness

c) pht (of a lens) unable to be focused sharply

19) phn

a) (of c and g) pronounced as in cent and

gem[/ex]

b) phn (of consonants) lenis, esp. lenis and voiced

Compare hard 34)

20) (of a missile-launching base) aboveground and unprotected from enemy attack

21) ars (of the landing of a space vehicle) executed with deceleration; gentle

22) foolish or stupid:

soft in the head[/ex]

23) ecl (of a detergent) readily biodegradable

24) something that is soft or yielding; the soft part

25) softness

26) in a soft manner

27) be quiet! hush!

28) not so fast! stop!

•

- be soft on

Etymology: bef. 1000; OE sōfte earliersēfte, c. OHG semfti soft′ish, adj. soft′ly, adv. soft′ness, n.