Soft

Soft, soft, adj. easily yielding to pressure: easily cut or acted upon: malleable: not rough to the touch: smooth: pleasing or soothing to the senses: easily yielding to any influence: mild: sympathetic: gentle: effeminate: gentle in motion: easy: free from lime or salt, as water: bituminous, as opposed to anthracitic, of coal: unsized, of paper: wet, rainy: warm enough to melt ice, thawing: (phon.) pronounced with a somewhat sibilant sound, not guttural or explosive: vocal or sonant: not bony, cartilaginous, not spinous: soft-rayed, soft-shelled: of silk, having the natural gum cleaned or washed off—opp. to Hard.—n. a silly person, a fool.—adv. gently: quietly.—interj. hold! not so fast!—adjs. Soft′-bod′ied, having a soft body; Soft′-con′scienced, having a sensitive conscience.—v.t. Soft′en, to make soft or softer: to mitigate: to tone down, make less glaring, make smoother in sound.—v.i. to grow soft or softer.—ns. Soft′ener; Soft′ening.—adjs. Soft′-eyed, having gentle or tender eyes; Soft′-finned, having no fin-spines.—n.pl. Soft′-goods, cloth, and cloth articles, as opposed to hardware, &c.—adjs. Soft′-hand′ed, having soft hands, unused to work, slack in discipline; Soft′-head′ed, of weak intellect; Soft′-heart′ed, kind-hearted: gentle: meek.—n. Soft-heart′edness.—adj. Soft′ish, rather soft.—adv. Soft′ly.—n. Soft′ness.—v.t. Soft′-saw′der (U.S.), to flatter, blarney.—n. flattery.—v.t. Soft′-soap, to flatter for some end.—n. flattery.—adj. Soft-spō′ken, -voiced, having a mild or gentle voice: mild, affable.—n. Soft′y, a silly person, a weak fool.—A soft thing, a snug place where the pay is good and the work light. [A.S. sófte, séfte; Dut. zacht, Ger. sanft.]