soft-headedadj.
/ˌsɒftˈhɛdᵻd/, U.S. /ˈsɔf(t)ˌhɛdəd/, /ˈsɑf(t)ˌhɛdəd/ 1. Of an object: having a soft head (in various senses).
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > equipment > tool > types of tools generally > [adjective] > others
barreda1571
hulch-backed1611
soft-headed1640
boneheaded?1750
shambling1829
hard-faced1862
bushed1907
1640 J. Parkinson Theatrum Botanicum xiv. xxxix. 1273 A lesser soft headed Reede grasse.
1751 J. Hill Gen. Nat. Hist. II. 553 The soft-headed Trefoil.
1856 J. H. Walsh Man. Domest. Econ. iv. v. 233/2 Chandeliers should be dusted at least once a week..with one of those long-handled, soft-headed brushes made for such purposes.
1955 N.Y. Times 19 Jan. 29/3 He gets the music out of thirteen china bowls, each of different size..with soft-headed drumsticks.
2007 Herald Sun (Melbourne) (Nexis) 7 Feb. c4 Assembly took only an hour, and the only tool needed was a soft-headed hammer.
2. Lacking intelligence or common sense; foolish, silly, stupid.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > lack of understanding > stupidity, dullness of intellect > [adjective]
sloweOE
stuntc960
dullOE
hardOE
stuntlyc1000
sotc1050
dillc1175
dulta1225
simplea1325
heavy1340
astonedc1374
sheepishc1380
dull-witteda1387
lourd1390
steerishc1411
ass-likea1425
brainless?a1439
deafc1440
sluggishc1450
short-witted1477
obtuse1509
peakish1519
wearish1519
deaf, or dumb as a beetle1520
doileda1522
gross1526
headlessa1530
stulty1532
ass-headed1533
pot-headed1533
stupid?1541
sheep's head1542
doltish1543
dumpish1545
assish1548
blockish1548
slow-witted1548
blockheaded1549
surd1551
dull-headed1552
hammer-headed1552
skit-brained?1553
buzzardly1561
witless1562
log-headeda1566
assy1566
sottish1566
dastardly1567
stupidious1567
beetle-headed1570
calvish1570
bluntish1578
cod's-headed1578
grout-headed1578
bedaft1579
dull-pated1580
blate1581
buzzard-like1581
long-eared1582
dullard1583
woodena1586
duncical1588
leaden-headed1589
buzzard1592
dorbellical1592
dunstical1592
heavy-headeda1593
shallow-brained1592
blunt-witted1594
mossy1597
Bœotian1598
clay-brained1598
fat1598
fat-witted1598
knotty-pated1598
stupidous1598
wit-lost1599
barren1600
duncifiedc1600
lourdish1600
stockish1600
thick1600
booby1603
leaden-pated1603
partless1603
thin-headed1603
leaden-skulledc1604
blockhead1606
frost-brained1606
ram-headed1608
beef-witted1609
insulse1609
leaden-spirited1609
asininec1610
clumse1611
blockheadly1612
wattle-headed1613
flata1616
logger-headeda1616
puppy-headeda1616
shallow-patedc1616
thick-brained1619
half-headed1621
buzzard-blinda1625
beef-brained1628
toom-headed1629
thick-witted1634
woollen-witted1635
squirrel-headed1637
clod-pated1639
lean-souled1639
muddy-headed1642
leaden-witteda1645
as sad as any mallet1645
under-headed1646
fat-headed1647
half-witted1647
insipid1651
insulsate1652
soft-headed1653
thick-skulleda1657
muddish1658
non-intelligent1659
whey-brained1660
sap-headed1665
timber-headed1666
leather-headeda1668
out of (one's) tree1669
boobily1673
thoughtless1673
lourdly1674
logger1675
unintelligenta1676
Bœotic1678
chicken-brained1678
under-witted1683
loggerhead1684
dunderheaded1692
unintelligible1694
buffle-headed1697
crassicc1700
numbskulled1707
crassous1708
doddy-polled1708
haggis-headed1715
niddy-noddy1722
muzzy1723
pudding-headed1726
sumphish1728
pitcher-souleda1739
duncey1743
hebete1743
chuckheaded1756
dumb1756
duncely1757
imbecile1766
mutton-headed1768
chuckle-headed1770
jobbernowl1770
dowfarta1774
boobyish1778
wittol1780
staumrel1787
opaquec1789
stoopid1791
mud-headed1793
borné1795
muzzy-headed1798
nog-headed1800
thick-headed1801
gypit1804
duncish1805
lightweight1809
numbskull1814
tup-headed1816
chuckle-pate1820
unintellectuala1821
dense1822
ninnyish1822
dunch1825
fozy1825
potato-headed1826
beef-headed1828
donkeyish1831
blockheadish1833
pinheaded1837
squirrel-minded1837
pumpkin-headed1838
tomfoolish1838
dundering1840
chicken-headed1842
like a bump on a log1842
ninny-minded1849
numbheadeda1852
nincompoopish1852
suet-brained1852
dolly1853
mullet-headed1853
sodden1853
fiddle-headed1854
numb1854
bovine1855
logy1859
crass1861
unsmart1861
off his chump1864
wooden-headed1865
stupe1866
lean-minded1867
duffing1869
cretinous1871
doddering1871
thick-head1873
doddling1874
stupido1879
boneheaded1883
woolly-headed1883
leaden-natured1889
suet-headed1890
sam-sodden1891
dopey1896
turnip-headed1898
bonehead1903
wool-witted1905
peanut-headed1906
peanut-brained1907
dilly1909
torpid-minded1909
retardate1912
nitwitted1917
meat-headed1918
mug1922
cloth-headed1925
loopy1925
nitwit1928
lame-brained1929
dead from the neck up1930
simpy1932
nail-headed1936
square-headed1936
dingbats1937
pinhead1939
dim-witted1940
pea-brained1942
clueless1943
lobotomized1943
retarded1949
pointy-headed1950
clottish1952
like a stunned mullet1953
silly (or crazy) as a two-bob watch1954
out to lunch1955
pin-brained1958
dozy1959
eejity1964
out of one's tiny mind1965
doofus1967
twitty1967
twittish1969
twatty1975
twattish1976
blur1977
dof1979
goofus1981
dickheaded1991
dickish1991
numpty1992
cockish1996
1653 J. Lilburne Prisoner's Most Mournful Cry 6 That busie and soft-headed man, Alderman Atkins.
1668 J. Dryden Sr Martin Mar-all iii. 35 Adieu soft-headed Sir Martin.
1721 N. Bailey Universal Etymol. Eng. Dict. at Cully A Fool, a soft headed Fellow.
1782 F. Burney Jrnl. 4 Nov. in Early Jrnls. & Lett. (2012) V. 149 This young man is very..good & and soft-Hearted,—but alas! he is also soft-Headed.
1823 W. Scott St. Ronan's Well III. vi. 152 He is a strange, soft-headed, sleepy sort of man.
1884 Christian World 21 Feb. 139/4 Large numbers of deluded women and soft-headed men.
1950 ‘C. S. Forester’ Mr. Midshipman Hornblower i. 11 Another soft-headed ignoramus come to be a nuisance to those who have to try to teach you your duties.
1984 G. H. Clarfield & W. M. Wiecek Nucl. Amer. 473 He is no soft-headed idealist: his technical data appalled nuclear spokesmen.
2004 Vanity Fair Sept. 252/2 In their critique of the war..softheaded politicians and journalists, unworthy of America's true spirit, undermined the American effort.
Derivatives
soft-ˈheadedness n. lack of intelligence or common sense; foolishness.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > lack of understanding > stupidity, dullness of intellect > [noun]
hardnessOE
stuntnessc1000
sotshipc1050
witlessnessa1100
sotheada1200
dullness1398
bluntness1483
slowness1495
grossnessa1530
stupidity?1541
assishness?1548
dastardness1552
lourderie1555
dastardliness1556
blockishness1561
doltishness1569
sottage1569
sheepishness1574
doltry1581
sottishness1589
doltage1593
dorbellism1593
grout-headry1600
opacity1611
duncery1615
dunstery1615
stupidness1619
hebetude1621
insulsity1623
unintelligence1634
obtuseness1648
jobbernowlism1652
dullery1653
non-intelligence1653
blockheadishness1656
crassness1664
blockheadedness1716
stolidness1727
blockheadism1753
numbskullity1779
nincompoophood1791
duncishness1805
numbskullism1806
foziness1821
noodledum1821
obtusity1823
soft-headedness1823
noodledom1827
duncehood1829
dunderheadedness1830
sumphishness1830
asininity1831
dunderheadism1836
stockishness1837
dullardness1840
fat-headedness1840
stupor1845
duncedom1847
misintelligence1848
nincompoopery1850
wooden-headedness1850
dumminess1852
jolterheadedness1852
ninnyship1852
donkeyism1855
dumbness1860
beef-wittedness1863
crassitude1865
donkeyhood1869
slow-wittedness1869
chuckle-headedness1880
leatherheadedness1880
pinheadedness1884
numbskulledness1885
donkeydom1889
thickheadedness1889
density1894
moronism1922
nitwittedness1931
nitwittery1931
noodleness1931
dopiness1942
squirrel-headedness1955
nincompoopism1957
dim-wittedness1960
clottishness1961
1823 London Lit. Gaz. 6 Sept. 572/3 If this be not soft-headedness, I know not what is.
1955 Bull. Atomic Scientists Apr. 131/1 There was no illogic or softheadedness in the Commission's concern about the dangers inherent in the investigative process.
2015 Daily Mail (Nexis) 15 Apr. Explanations for this sorry state of affairs lie with our lack-lustre politicians and the soft-headedness of voters.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1640