soft : Dictionary / Wörterbuch (BEOLINGUS, TU Chemnitz)

English Dictionary: soft	by the DICT Development Group
5 results for soft
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
soft adv in a relaxed manner; or without hardship; "just wanted to take it easy" (`soft' is nonstandard) Synonym(s): easy, soft adj yielding readily to pressure or weight Antonym(s): hard compassionate and kind; conciliatory; "he was soft on his children" Antonym(s): hard (of sound) relatively low in volume; "soft voices"; "soft music" Antonym(s): loud easily hurt; "soft hands"; "a baby's delicate skin" Synonym(s): delicate, soft produced with vibration of the vocal cords; "a frequently voiced opinion"; "voiced consonants such as `b' and `g' and `z'"; Synonym(s): voiced, sonant, soft Antonym(s): hard, surd, unvoiced, voiceless not protected against attack (especially by nuclear weapons); "soft targets" Antonym(s): hardened used chiefly as a direction or description in music; "the piano passages in the composition" Synonym(s): piano, soft Antonym(s): forte, loud (of light) transmitted from a broad light source or reflected Synonym(s): soft, diffuse, diffused Antonym(s): concentrated, hard (of speech sounds); produced with the back of the tongue raised toward the hard palate; characterized by a hissing or hushing sound (as `s' and `sh') Antonym(s): hard (of a commodity or market or currency) falling or likely to fall in value; "the market for computers is soft" using evidence not readily amenable to experimental verification or refutation; "soft data"; "the soft sciences" tolerant or lenient; "indulgent parents risk spoiling their children"; "too soft on the children"; "they are soft on crime" Synonym(s): indulgent, lenient, soft soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe; "a gentle reprimand"; "a vein of gentle irony"; "poked gentle fun at him" Synonym(s): gentle, soft having little impact; "an easy pat on the shoulder"; "gentle rain"; "a gentle breeze"; "a soft (or light) tapping at the window" Synonym(s): easy, gentle, soft out of condition; not strong or robust; incapable of exertion or endurance; "he was too soft for the army"; "flabby around the middle"; "flaccid cheeks" Synonym(s): soft, flabby, flaccid willing to negotiate and compromise not burdensome or demanding; borne or done easily and without hardship; "what a cushy job!"; "the easygoing life of a parttime consultant"; "a soft job" Synonym(s): cushy, soft, easygoing mild and pleasant; "balmy days and nights"; "the climate was mild and conducive to life or growth"; "a soft breeze" Synonym(s): balmy, mild, soft not brilliant or glaring; "the moon cast soft shadows"; "soft pastel colors"; "subdued lighting" Synonym(s): soft, subdued
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Soft \Soft\, a. [Compar. {Softer}; superl. {Softest}.] [OE. softe, AS. s[?]fte, properly adv. of s[?]fte, adj.; akin to OS. s[be]fto, adv., D. zacht, OHG. samfto, adv., semfti, adj., G. sanft, LG. sacht; of uncertain origin.] 1. Easily yielding to pressure; easily impressed, molded, or cut; not firm in resisting; impressible; yielding; also, malleable; -- opposed to {hard}; as, a soft bed; a soft peach; soft earth; soft wood or metal. 2. Not rough, rugged, or harsh to the touch; smooth; delicate; fine; as, soft silk; a soft skin. They that wear soft clothing are in king's houses. --Matt. xi. 8. 3. Hence, agreeable to feel, taste, or inhale; not irritating to the tissues; as, a soft liniment; soft wines. [bd]The soft, delicious air.[b8] --Milton. 4. Not harsh or offensive to the sight; not glaring; pleasing to the eye; not exciting by intensity of color or violent contrast; as, soft hues or tints. The sun, shining upon the upper part of the clouds . . . made the softest lights imaginable. --Sir T. Browne. 5. Not harsh or rough in sound; gentle and pleasing to the ear; flowing; as, soft whispers of music. Her voice was ever soft, Gentle, and low, -- an excellent thing in woman. --Shak. Soft were my numbers; who could take offense? --Pope. 6. Easily yielding; susceptible to influence; flexible; gentle; kind. I would to God my heart were flint, like Edward's; Or Edward's soft and pitiful, like mine. --Shak. The meek or soft shall inherit the earth. --Tyndale. 7. Expressing gentleness, tenderness, or the like; mild; conciliatory; courteous; kind; as, soft eyes. A soft answer turneth away wrath. --Prov. xv. 1. A face with gladness overspread, Soft smiles, by human kindness bred. --Wordsworth. 8. Effeminate; not courageous or manly, weak. A longing after sensual pleasures is a dissolution of the spirit of a man, and makes it loose, soft, and wandering. --Jer. Taylor. 9. Gentle in action or motion; easy. On her soft axle, white she paces even, And bears thee soft with the smooth air along. --Milton. 10. Weak in character; impressible. The deceiver soon found this soft place of Adam's. --Glanvill. 11. Somewhat weak in intellect. [Colloq.] He made soft fellows stark noddies, and such as were foolish quite mad. --Burton. 12. Quiet; undisturbed; paceful; as, soft slumbers. 13. Having, or consisting of, a gentle curve or curves; not angular or abrupt; as, soft outlines. 14. Not tinged with mineral salts; adapted to decompose soap; as, soft water is the best for washing. 15. (Phonetics) (a) Applied to a palatal, a sibilant, or a dental consonant (as g in gem, c in cent, etc.) as distinguished from a guttural mute (as g in go, c in cone, etc.); -- opposed to {hard}. (b) Belonging to the class of sonant elements as distinguished from the surd, and considered as involving less force in utterance; as, b, d, g, z, v, etc., in contrast with p, t, k, s, f, etc. {Soft clam} (Zo[94]l.), the common or long clam ({Mya arenaria}). See {Mya}. {Soft coal}, bituminous coal, as distinguished from anthracite, or hard, coal. {Soft crab} (Zo[94]l.), any crab which has recently shed its shell. {Soft dorsal} (Zo[94]l.), the posterior part of the dorsal fin of fishes when supported by soft rays. {Soft grass}. (Bot.) See {Velvet grass}. {Soft money}, paper money, as distinguished from coin, or hard money. [Colloq. U.S.] {Soft mute}. (Phonetics) See {Media}. {Soft palate}. See the Note under {Palate}. {Soft ray} (Zo[94]l.), a fin ray which is articulated and usually branched. {Soft soap}. See under {Soap}. {Soft-tack}, leavened bread, as distinguished from {hard-tack}, or {ship bread}. {Soft tortoise} (Zo[94]l.), any river tortoise of the genus Trionyx. See {Trionyx}.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Soft \Soft\, n. A soft or foolish person; an idiot. [Colloq.] --G. Eliot.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Soft \Soft\, adv. Softly; without roughness or harshness; gently; quietly. --Chaucer. A knight soft riding toward them. --Spenser.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Soft \Soft\, interj. Be quiet; hold; stop; not so fast.