soft

Adjective

• not brilliant or glaring
  • the moon cast soft shadows
    
  • soft pastel colors
    
  • subdued lighting
    

• mild and pleasant
  • balmy days and nights
    
  • the climate was mild and conducive to life or growth
    
  • a soft breeze
    

• not burdensome or demanding; borne or done easily and without hardship
  • what a cushy job!
    
  • the easygoing life of a parttime consultant
    
  • a soft job
    

• willing to negotiate and compromise

• out of condition; not strong or robust; incapable of exertion or endurance
  • he was too soft for the army
    
  • flabby around the middle
    
  • flaccid cheeks
    

• having little impact
  • an easy pat on the shoulder
    
  • gentle rain
    
  • a gentle breeze
    
  • a soft (or light) tapping at the window
    

• soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
  • a gentle reprimand
    
  • a vein of gentle irony
    
  • poked gentle fun at him
    

• tolerant or lenient
  • indulgent parents risk spoiling their children
    
  • too soft on the children
    
  • they are soft on crime
    

• using evidence not readily amenable to experimental verification or refutation
  • soft data
    
  • the soft sciences
    

• (of a commodity or market or currency) falling or likely to fall in value
  • the market for computers is soft
    

• (of speech sounds); produced with the back of the tongue raised toward the hard palate; characterized by a hissing or hushing sound (as `s' and `sh')

• (of light) transmitted from a broad light source or reflected

• used chiefly as a direction or description in music
  • the piano passages in the composition
    

• not protected against attack (especially by nuclear weapons)
  • soft targets
    

• produced with vibration of the vocal cords;
  • a frequently voiced opinion
    
  • voiced consonants such as `b' and `g' and `z'
    

• easily hurt
  • soft hands
    
  • a baby's delicate skin
    

• (of sound) relatively low in volume
  • soft voices
    
  • soft music
    

• compassionate and kind; conciliatory
  • he was soft on his children
    

• yielding readily to pressure or weight

Adverb

• in a relaxed manner; or without hardship
  • just wanted to take it easy (`soft' is nonstandard)
    

Related words

• Synonyms: 
  subdued , balmy , mild , cushy , easygoing , flabby , flaccid , easy , gentle , indulgent , lenient , diffuse , diffused , piano , voiced , sonant , delicate
• Antonyms: 
  hard , concentrated , forte , loud , hardened , unvoiced , voiceless , surd