| 释义 |
soft
I. \ˈsȯft also ˈsäft\ adjective
(-er/-est)
Etymology: Middle English softe, soft, from Old English sōfte, alteration (probably influenced by sōfte softly) of sēfte; akin to Old Saxon sāfti soft, Old High German semfti, and probably to Gothic samjan to please, Old Norse semja to arrange, settle, make peace, Sanskrit samayati he levels, regulates, sama level, same — more at same
1.
a. : pleasing or agreeable to the senses : bringing ease, comfort, or quiet
< the soft influences of home >
— sometimes used interjectionally to enjoin silence or less haste
< soft, who comes here — Shakespeare >
b. : having the restfulness of sleep
< soft slumbers >
c.
(1) : having a bland or mellow rather than a sharp or acid taste or flavor
(2) : containing no alcohol — used of beverages
< washing down hot dogs with soft drinks >
d.
(1) : having only moderate contrast between light and shadow or between colors or color shades : not bright or glaring : subdued
< the soft shadows of a spring evening >
(2) : having or producing little contrast or a relatively short range of tones
< soft negative >
< soft print >
< soft paper >
< soft lighting >
e.
(1) : free from loudness, harshness, or stridency : quiet in pitch or volume
(2) archaic : making a low and gentle rather than a loud or harsh sound — used of a musical instrument
(3) : melodious, pleasing, sensuous
< her voice was soft and thrilling >
f. of the eyes : having a liquid or gentle appearance
< soft brown eyes — Len Zinberg >
g. : smooth or delicate in texture, grain, or fiber : not rough, coarse, or irritating to the touch
< a soft cashmere >
h.
(1) : balmy, mild, or clement in weather or temperature
< soft summer nights — Sherwood Anderson >
(2) : moving or falling with slight force or impact : not violent
< outside there was a soft rain — Martin Quigley >
< soft breezes >
2. : having a surface unbroken by heavy waves : calm — used of a river or sea
3.
a. obsolete : readily endured or supported : involving no severity, harshness, or strain
b. : demanding little work or effort : not toilsome or laborious : easy, idle
< given to soft living and dissolute practices >
< young men who married soft jobs — J.H.Reese >
4.
a. : sounding as in ace and gem respectively — used of c and g or their sound
b. of a consonant : voiced
c. : 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) — opposed to hard; compare palatalization
5.
a. archaic : moving slowly and unhurriedly
b. : slow or moderate in burning — used of a fire
6. : rising gradually : ascending by moderate degrees
< a soft slope >
< a soft crescendo >
7. : having curved or rounded outline : blending easily into the general effect or view : not harsh or jagged
< soft hills against the horizon >
< a pullover sweater with soft shoulder lines >
8.
a. : evincing mildness of disposition or temper : showing gentleness, kindness, or mercy : compassionate
b.
(1) : exhibiting sympathetic understanding : tending to ingratiate or disarm : conciliatory, engaging, kind, suave
< a soft answer turns away wrath — Prov 15:1 (Revised Standard Version) >
< could be great harm in accepting, at face value, whatever soft words they may utter — Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican >
(2) : tender, sentimental
< the soft utterance of a loving heart >
c.
(1) : mild, lenient, or gentle in method or procedure
< adopted a policy of slow growth and soft competition to allow other firms to establish themselves in the industry — A.D.H.Kaplan >
< hopes … died in the awful gap between tough talk and soft action — New Republic >
(2) : based on negotiation and conciliation rather than on a show of power or on threats
< had switched to a soft line as the situation worsened >
d. : emotionally susceptible or responsive : readily affected by sentiment : impressionable, suggestible
e. : unduly susceptible to influence : readily affected, swayed, or imposed on : compliant
< said their teacher was soft >
f. obsolete : of refined character or gentle breeding
g. : lacking firmness or strength of character : feeble, unmanly
h. : amorously intent or emotionally involved or attracted — used with on
< had always been soft on the neighbors' daughter >
9.
a. : weak or delicate in health or constitution : lacking robust strength, stamina, or endurance : enervated by ease or luxury : not hardened by exercise or effort
b. : weak or deficient mentally : foolish, half-witted
10. Scot & Irish : damp, wet, drizzly
11.
a. : yielding or giving way to physical pressure : having a surface that does not firmly resist the touch : loose rather than dense in texture or consistency : comfortable or pleasant because not hard
b. : too moist or yielding to support weight : permitting (someone or something) to sink in — used of wet ground
c. : of a consistency that may be shaped or molded : compressible, malleable
d. : easily magnetized and demagnetized
< magnetically soft alloys are used for motors, transformers, and other electromagnetic devices >
e. : lacking relatively or comparatively in hardness
< soft iron >
< soft coal >
12. : characterized by the practical absence of substances (as calcium and magnesium salts) that prevent formation of lather with soap — used of water and water solutions; compare hard 1c (1)
13. : maturing as a ceramic glaze or object at a relatively low temperature
14. of glass
a. : capable of being annealed at a relatively low temperature
b. : readily scratched : having little mechanical hardness
15.
a. : having relatively low penetrating power
< soft X rays >
b. of an electron tube : containing gas that adversely affects its characteristics
16. : not durable : perishable
17.
a. : tending to decline in price under the influence of selling — used especially of securities or commodities
b. of money : paper as distinct from metallic
c. of currency : not convertible into gold nor heavily backed by a gold reserve and typically unstable, low, or depreciating in value; also : available to borrowers in ample supply and at low interest rates
d. of a currency : not soundly backed nor readily convertible into foreign currencies except under restrictions or at considerable discounts
< has attempted, where possible, to shift purchases to soft currency areas — T.C.Blaisdell >
18. of brick : underburned because of its position in the kiln
19. : softwood
20.
a. of paper : being opaque and not brittle or crisp and having under the microscope a slightly fuzzy texture
b. : bound in paperback
< soft-bound book >
< soft-back book >
< soft bindings >
21. of news : unimportant in its economic, political, or larger social bearing
< a soft human-interest story >
— compare hard
22. of a foundry blast : weak in force or pressure
23. : containing some of the solids of raw cane sugar that are removed in refining white sugar and being usually brown and somewhat moist
Synonyms:
soft, bland, mild, gentle, lenient, and balmy can mean, in common, pleasantly agreeable because devoid of harshness or roughness in the sensations evoked. soft suggests a tranquilizing sensation of mellowness especially as devoid of pungency, vividness, intensity, stridency, and so on
< a soft color >
< a soft voice >
< a soft answer >
< the soft glow of the lamp — Louis Bromfield >
< a soft and smooth climate >
bland can be often interchanged with soft but more generally suggests smoothness and suavity, emphasizing more than soft the absence of what might disturb, irritate, stimulate, and so on
< it was hot and cold, sweet and sour, fiery and bland — all at the same time — Mary Lasswell >
< a bland diet was prescribed with milk and cream with meals and between meals — Journal American Medical Association >
< a bland reply to a belligerent accusation >
< from the south comes the bland air of the gulf — H.T.Kane >
< the bland influence of encouraging words >
mild and gentle both stress moderation and are usually applied to things that are not, as they might be and often are, harsh, rough, strong, stimulating or violent, often, however, connoting positively pleasurable sensations, a pleasurableness induced by the very moderation of the thing, mild possibly stressing more an induced mood of serenity, gentle possibly implying more an induced placidity and a sense of restrained power or force
< a mild drink >
< a mild taste >
< a mild winter >
< a mild breeze >
< his picture is mild, feeble, and contrived, whereas Picasso's is excited, bold, and hardy — J.T.Soby >
< a good man, mild, charitable, and humane — Tobias Smollett >
< a gentle hand >
< his voice was soft; his manner gentle — Robert Tallant >
< a tone of gentle authority — Martha Bacon >
< contrasts of light, shade, and shadow should be gentle — A.S.Whiton >
lenient sometimes applies to something exerting an emollient, relaxing, or assuasive influence, often connoting (from another sense of the word) indulgence or kindliness
< a lenient hand on his brow >
< the weather was lenient — H.L.Davis >
< poured her a lenient rum and water — Christopher Morley >
balmy, applied chiefly to atmospheric conditions, especially to a breeze or a wind, often adds to the idea of soothing sensation on mind or senses the idea of refreshing influence or even fragrant quality
< the balmy summer air, the restful quiet — Mark Twain >
< it was a lovely soft spring morning at the end of March, and unusually balmy for the time of year — Samuel Butler †1902 >
< the balmy trade winds and subtropical sunshine — P.J.C.Friedlander >
II. noun
(-s)
Etymology: Middle English, from soft (I)
1.
a. : the quality or state of being soft : softness
b. : a soft object, material, or part
< the soft of the thumb >
2. : a soft or silly person
3. softs plural, Britain : shoddy
III. adverb
Etymology: Middle English softe, soft, from Old English sōfte; akin to Old Saxon sāfto softly, Old High German samfto; all from a prehistoric West Germanic adverb from the root of Old English sēfte soft — more at soft I
: in a soft or gentle manner : softly
IV. adjective
1. : occurring at such a speed and under such circumstances as to avoid destructive impact
< soft landing of a spacecraft on the moon >
2. : not protected against enemy attack
< a soft aboveground launching site >
3. : biodegradable herein
< a soft detergent >
< soft pesticides >
4. of a drug : considered less detrimental than a hard narcotic
< marijuana is usually regarded as a soft drug >
5.
a. : being low due to sluggish market conditions
< soft prices >
b. : sluggish : slow
< a soft market >
6. : not firmly committed : irresolute : undecided
< soft voters >
7. : soft-core herein
< soft pornography >
8.
a. : being or based on interpretive or speculative data
< soft evidence >
< soft data >
b. : utilizing or based on soft data
< soft science >
9. : being or using renewable sources of energy (as solar radiation, wind, tides, or biomass conversion)
< soft technologies >
10. : being or having keys that are programmable for different functions
11. of money : contributed (as by a corporation) to a political party rather than directly to a political candidate |