Soft (?), a. [Compar. Softer (?); superl. Softest.] [OE. softe, AS. sfte, properly adv. of sfte, adj.; akin to OS. safto, 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. "The soft, delicious air."
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 Zool., the common or long clam (Mya arenaria). See Mya.
-- Soft coal, bituminous coal, as distinguished from anthracite, or hard, coal.
-- Soft crab Zool., any crab which has recently shed its shell.
-- Soft dorsal Zool., 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 Zool., 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 Zool., any river tortoise of the genus Trionyx. See Trionyx.
© Webster 1913.
Soft (?), n. A soft or foolish person; an idiot. [Colloq.]
G. Eliot.
© Webster 1913.
Soft, adv. Softly; without roughness or harshness; gently; quietly.
Chaucer.
A knight soft riding toward them.
Spenser.
© Webster 1913.
Soft, interj. Be quiet; hold; stop; not so fast.
Soft, you; a word or two before you go.
Shak.
© Webster 1913. | 
