soften /sofˈn/ transitive verb

1. To make soft or softer
2. To mitigate
3. To tone down, make smoother or less glaring

intransitive verb

To grow soft or softer

softener /sofˈnər/ noun

softening /sofˈning/ noun

softˈie noun

A softy

softˈish adjective

Rather soft

softˈling noun (archaic)

1. A weakling
2. An effeminate man or boy
3. A soft object

softˈly adverb

In a soft manner

adjective (Spenser)

1. Soft
2. Slack in enterprise

softˈness noun

softˈy noun (informal)

1. A silly person, a weak fool
2. Someone who is soft-hearted or sentimental

softˈback or softˈcover noun

A paperback (also adjective)

softˈball noun

1. An American game similar to baseball, played on a smaller diamond with a soft ball
2. The ball itself

soft benefits plural noun

Non-financial benefits offered to employees, such as health insurance or childcare

soft-billedˈ adjective

soft-bodˈied adjective

softˈ-boil transitive verb

soft-boiledˈ adjective

1. Boiled not long enough to be quite solid
2. Soft-hearted (informal)

soft-cenˈtred adjective

soft commodities plural noun

Foodstuffs, coffee, cotton, etc, as opposed to metals

soft-conˈscienc'd adjective (Shakespeare)

Having a not very rigorous conscience

soft copy noun (computing)

Material that is coded or stored on disk as distinct from data that is printed out

softˈ-core adjective

(of obscene or pornographic material) not explicit, blatant or graphic

softcover see softback above.

soft currency noun

One unstable in value in the international money market through fluctuation in its gold backing

soft drink noun

A non-alcoholic drink

soft-finnedˈ adjective

Without fin-spines

soft focus noun (photography, cinematography)

Deliberate slight blurring of a picture or scene

soft-foˈcus adjective

soft-footˈed adjective

Softly treading

soft fruit noun

Small, stoneless, edible fruit, such as berries and currants

soft furnishings plural noun

Curtains, coverings, rugs, etc

soft goods plural noun

Cloth and cloth articles, as opposed to hardware, etc

softˈ-grass noun

A worthless grass (Holcus mollis or other species) similar to oats

softˈhead noun

A simpleton

soft-headˈed adjective

soft-heartˈed adjective

1. Kind, generous
2. Tender-hearted

soft hyphen noun

(in word processing) one inserted in a word only if necessary for word division at the end of a line

soft iron noun

Iron that is low in carbon content and does not retain magnetism

soft landing noun

A landing by a spacecraft, etc without uncomfortable or damaging impact (also figurative)

soft launch noun (commerce)

The introduction of a new product to a restricted group of customers before it has been fully developed

soft lens noun

A flexible contact lens of a hydrophylic material which allows some oxygen to reach the cornea

soft line noun

A flexible or lenient attitude, policy, etc

soft loan noun

1. One without conditions attached
2. A cheap or interest-free loan, usu to a developing country

softly-softˈly adjective

Cautious, careful, delicate

softly-sprightˈed adjective (Shakespeare)

Tame-spirited

soft mark see under mark¹

soft meat noun

Regurgitated food given by pigeons to their young

softˈ-nosed adjective

(of a bullet) with a tip that expands on striking

soft option noun

An alternative that is easy to carry out, undergo, etc

soft palate noun

The fleshy back part of the palate

softˈ-paste adjective

(of porcelain) made of a paste of various kinds requiring less heat in firing than china clay

soft pedal noun

A pedal for reducing tone in the piano, esp by causing the hammer to strike only one string

soft-pedˈal transitive verb and intransitive verb

1. To play with the soft pedal down
2. To subdue, tone down, avoid emphasizing or alluding to (slang)

soft power noun (esp US)

The power of a nation to influence others by displaying the advantages of its own cultural, social, financial, etc systems without the use of military power

soft radiation noun (radiology)

Radiation which has very limited penetrating power

soft return noun (computing)

A line feed which is inserted by a word processor or text editor to justify the text and which can be moved or deleted

soft rock noun

A form of rock music, usu more melodious and slower in tempo than hard rock (qv under hard¹)

soft-rock geology noun (informal)

The geology of sedimentary rocks

soft rot noun

A bacterial disease of plant tissues which reduces them to soft, mushy, foul-smelling rot

soft sawder or soft sowder noun

Flattery

soft-sawˈder or soft-sowˈder transitive verb

To flatter

soft science noun

Any of the scientific disciplines in which rules or principles of evaluation are difficult to obtain, such as social sciences (cf hard science under hard¹)

soft-sectˈored adjective (computing)

(of a floppy disk) formatted by means of software (cf hard-sectored)

softˈ-sectˈoring noun

soft sell noun

1. Selling or sale by preliminary softening up or other indirect method
2. Mild persuasion, or mildly persuasive tactics

soft-sellˈ adjective

softˈ-shell or softˈ-shelledˈ adjective

1. Having a soft shell
2. Moderate in policy or principles

softˈ-shell noun

1. A soft-shell crab, clam, or river-turtle
2. A moderate

softˈ-shoe adjective

Characteristic of or relating to a form of tap-dancing done in soft-soled shoes

soft skills plural noun

Personal qualities or aptitudes that may be seen as indirectly qualifying someone for a particular job

softˈ-slow adjective (Shakespeare)

Soft and slow

soft soap noun

1. A kind of soap containing potash
2. Flattery
3. Blarney

softˈ-soap transitive verb

1. To rub or cover with soft soap
2. To flatter for some end

soft sore noun

Chancroid, a sexually-transmitted disease resulting in enlargement and ulceration of the lymph nodes in the groin

soft sowder see soft sawder above.

soft-spoˈken adjective

1. Having a mild or gentle voice
2. Affable
3. Suave
4. Plausible in speech

soft spot see under spot

soft thing noun

1. An easy task
2. A snug job

soft top noun

A convertible car with a fabric roof

softˈ-top adjective

soft touch see under touch

soft underbelly noun

The vulnerable part

softˈware noun

1. Computer programs that control the operation of computer hardware (qv)
2. Computer program (or analogous) accessories (other than the actual parts of a computer, etc)
3. Video cassettes and discs
4. Material recorded in microform

software engineering noun

The production of reliable software and its maintenance and modification for particular applications

software house noun

A commercial organization that specializes in the design of software programs

soft wheat noun

A variety of wheat with soft kernels and a high starch content, suitable for making biscuits, pastry, etc

softˈwood noun

(timber of) a conifer (also adjective)

be or go soft on

To be lenient with

softening of the brain

1. A softening of brain tissues
2. Marked deterioration of mental faculties (informal)

soften up

1. To lessen resistance in (informal)
2. To wear down by continuous shelling and bombing