soft

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   not brilliant or glaring

   the moon cast soft shadows

2. 2
   adj

   (of sound) relatively low in volume

   soft voices

3. 3
   adj

   not protected against attack especially by nuclear weapons

   The bunkers were soft targets.

4. 4
   adj

   using evidence not readily amenable to experimental verification or refutation

   soft data

5. 5
   adj

   easily hurt

   soft hands

6. 6
   adj

   (of a commodity or market or currency) falling or likely to fall in value

   the market for computers is soft

7. 7
   adj

   Easily giving way under pressure.

   My head sank easily into the soft pillow.

8. 8
   adj

   Smooth and flexible; not rough, rugged, or harsh.

   Polish the silver with a soft cloth to avoid scratching.

Etymology

From Middle English softe, from Old English sōfte, alteration of earlier sēfte (“soft”), from Proto-West Germanic *samft(ī) (“level, even, smooth, soft, gentle”) (compare *sōmiz (“agreeable, fitting”)), from Proto-Indo-European *semptio-, *semtio-, from *sem- (“one, whole”). Cognate with West Frisian sêft (“gentle; soft”), Dutch zacht (“soft”), German Low German sacht (“soft”), German sanft (“soft, yielding”), Old Norse sœmr (“agreeable, fitting”), samr (“same”). More at seem, same.