softness

B2 Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /ˈsɔftnəs/ UK /ˈsɒftnəs/ See IPA manual

Freq #29254

Meanings

1

noun
The quality of being easy to press or pleasant to touch.

I love the softness of this new blanket.
2

noun
A gentle, mild quality in someone's manner.

There was a surprising softness in his usually stern voice.
3

noun
A quiet, subdued quality of light, color, or sound.

She admired the softness of the morning sky.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · a gentle, mild quality in... gentleness mildness

Opposites

hardness

Word family

Forms softnesses

Etymology

From Middle English softnesse, from Old English sōftnes, alteration of earlier sēftnes. Equivalent to soft + -ness.

softnesse Middle English sōftnes Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas

External links

# softness

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈsɔftnəs/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈsɒftnəs/
**Frequency rank:** 29254

## Meanings
1. The quality of being easy to press or pleasant to touch.
2. A gentle, mild quality in someone's manner.
3. A quiet, subdued quality of light, color, or sound.

## Examples
- I love the softness of this new blanket.
- There was a surprising softness in his usually stern voice.
- She admired the softness of the morning sky.

## Antonyms
- hardness

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: softnesse
- Root: sōftnes

## Etymology
From Middle English softnesse, from Old English sōftnes, alteration of earlier sēftnes. Equivalent to soft + -ness.

## AI Etymology
Softness is from Middle English softnesse, from Old English sōftnes, alteration of earlier sēftnes. Equivalent to soft + -ness. Important forms in the word's history include Middle English softnesse, Old English sōftnes. In current use it includes senses such as The quality of being easy to press or pleasant to touch and A gentle, mild quality in someone's manner.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas

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