SOFT

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Old English sōfte, alteration of sēfte; akin to Old High German semfti ~ Date: before 12th century 1. pleasing or agreeable to the senses ; bringing ease, comfort, or quiet , having a bland or mellow rather than a sharp or acid taste, c. not bright or glaring ; subdued , having or producing little contrast or a relatively short range of tones , quiet in pitch or volume, having a liquid or gentle appearance, smooth or delicate in texture, grain, or fiber , g. balmy, mild, or clement in weather or temperature, moving or falling with slight force or impact ; not violent , demanding little work or effort ; easy , 3. sounding as in ace and gem respectively, voiced , constituting a vowel before which there is a \\y\\ sound or a \\y\\-like modification of a consonant or constituting a consonant in whose articulation there is a \\y\\-like modification or which is followed by a \\y\\ sound (as in Russian), moving in a leisurely manner, rising gradually , having curved or rounded outline ; not harsh or jagged , marked by a gentleness, kindness, or tenderness: as, a. not harsh or onerous in character , based on negotiation, conciliation, or flexibility rather than on force, threats, or intransigence , tending to take a ~ line, tending to ingratiate or disarm ; engaging , kind , marked by mildness ; unassuming , low-key , 8. emotionally suggestible or responsive ; impressionable , unduly susceptible to influence ; compliant , lacking firmness or strength of character ; feeble , unmanly , amorously attracted or emotionally involved, 9. lacking robust strength, stamina, or endurance especially because of living in ease or luxury , weak or deficient mentally , 10. yielding to physical pressure, permitting someone or something to sink in, c. of a consistency that may be shaped or molded, capable of being spread, easily magnetized and demagnetized, lacking relatively or comparatively in hardness , deficient in or free from substances (as calcium and magnesium salts) that prevent lathering of soap , having relatively low energy , relatively less serious or significant, occurring at such a speed and under such circumstances as to avoid destructive impact , not protected against enemy attack , biodegradable , considered less detrimental than a hard narcotic, easily polarized, 19. not readily convertible, not secured by collateral, 20. being low due to sluggish market conditions , sluggish , slow , not firmly committed , ~-core , 23. being or based on interpretive or speculative data , utilizing or based on ~ data , being or using renewable sources of energy (as solar radiation, wind, or tides) , contributed (as by a corporation) to a political party rather than directly to a particular candidate, ~ish adjective ~ly adverb ~ness noun II. adverb Date: before 12th century in a ~ or gentle manner ; ~ly, III. noun Date: 15th century a ~ object, material, or part