soft
gb/sˈɔft/ us/sˈɔft/
A1
English
~ 1500
puha, halk, lágy, gyengéd, jószívű, visszafogott, képlékeny
A1
1
puha
A2
Usage pattern:
[something] is soft
The baby's skin felt incredibly soft.
A baba bőre hihetetlenül puha volt.
This blanket is so soft and warm.
Ez a takaró olyan puha és meleg.
I prefer soft towels after a shower.
Learner examples
The bed is soft.
Az ágy puha.
Her hair is soft.
Puha a haja.
This chair is soft.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'soft' with 'smooth'. 'Smooth' means no roughness, while 'soft' means easy to press or bend.
Meaning
Smooth to the touch
Collocations
soft pillow
|soft fabric
|soft skin
|soft blanket
Synonyms
smooth (Emphasizes the absence of roughness, not necessarily yielding.)
Antonyms
hard (Firm and solid, opposite of yielding or gentle to the touch.)
Themes
daily life
|senses
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Not hard or rough; easy and nice to touch.
Having a smooth, gentle, or yielding surface or texture that is pleasant to touch.
A2
2
Usage pattern:
[something] is soft
She spoke in a soft voice so as not to wake the baby.
Halk hangon beszélt, nehogy felébressze a babát.
Soft music was playing in the background.
Lágy zene szólt a háttérben.
His tone was soft and calming.
Learner examples
The music is soft.
A zene halk.
He has a soft voice.
Halk hangja van.
She talks soft.
Common mistake:
Learners may use 'quiet' when they mean 'soft' to suggest gentleness of tone.
Meaning
Quiet or gentle in sound
Collocations
soft voice
|soft music
|soft whisper
Synonyms
quiet (General term for low volume, without implying gentleness.)
Antonyms
loud (High in volume, opposite of quiet or gentle in sound.)
Themes
music
|daily life
|communication
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Not loud; quiet and gentle in sound.
Having a low volume or gentle quality of sound.
B1
3
Usage pattern:
[someone] is soft (with [someone/something])
He has a soft heart and always helps others.
Jószívű ember, és mindig segít másoknak.
Her soft approach made the child feel safe.
Gyengéd bánásmódja miatt a gyerek biztonságban érezte magát.
Don't be too soft on them—they need discipline.
Learner examples
My teacher is very soft.
A tanárom nagyon jószívű.
He is soft with children.
Gyengéden bánik a gyerekekkel.
She has a soft heart.
Common mistake:
Some learners misunderstand 'soft' here as lacking strength rather than being kind.
Meaning
Kind and gentle nature
Collocations
soft heart
|soft approach
|soft touch
Synonyms
gentle (Emphasizes mildness and care in behavior.)
Antonyms
harsh (Severe or unkind in manner, opposite of gentle.)
Themes
emotions
|personality
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Kind and gentle; not harsh or strict.
Having a kind, gentle, and sympathetic character or manner.
A2
4
lágy
B1
visszafogott
B2
Usage pattern:
[something] is soft (color/light)
The room was lit by soft candlelight.
A szobát lágy gyertyafény világította meg.
She wore a dress in soft pastel shades.
Lágy pasztellárnyalatú ruhát viselt.
Morning brought a soft glow over the hills.
Learner examples
The light is soft.
A fény lágy.
Her dress is a soft blue.
A ruhája lágy kék árnyalatú.
The room has soft colors.
Meaning
Gently toned color or light
Collocations
soft light
|soft colors
|soft glow
Synonyms
muted (Specifically refers to subdued colors, not necessarily light.)
Antonyms
bright (Strong and intense in light or color.)
Themes
art
|design
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Not bright; gentle and easy on the eyes.
Not strong, bright, or harsh in color or light; muted or subdued.
A2
5
Usage pattern:
[something] is soft (material)
The clay should be soft before you start modeling it.
Az agyagnak puhának kell lennie, mielőtt elkezded formázni.
Soft bread is best for making sandwiches.
Szendvicskészítéshez a puha kenyér a legjobb.
After the rain, the ground was soft underfoot.
Learner examples
The bread is soft.
A kenyér puha.
The ground is soft after rain.
Eső után puha a talaj.
This clay is soft.
Meaning
Easily shaped when pressed
Collocations
soft clay
|soft bread
|soft soil
Synonyms
pliable (Emphasizes flexibility and ease of shaping.)
Antonyms
rigid (Stiff and not easily bent.)
Themes
materials
|daily life
|science
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Easy to press, bend, or shape; not hard.
Easily compressed, bent, or molded without breaking; not rigid.
Grammar
Dictionary form
soft
IPA
GB/sˈɔft/
US/sˈɔft/
Syllables & stress
soft (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (soft)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: soft
- Comparative: softer
- Superlative: softest
Word family
Expressions
go soft on [someone/something]
1/ɡˈoʊ sˈɔft ˈɔn sˈoʊmˈoʊnsəmˈɛθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
informal
Be less strict with someone/something
To stop being strict with someone or something; to be too kind or forgiving.
Examples
- The teacher went soft on the class after the holiday break.
- Don’t go soft on him—he needs to learn from his mistakes.
in soft focus
1/ˈɪn sˈɔft fˈoʊkəs/
fixed phrase
Blurry photographic effect for gentleness
In photography or film, showing an image that is slightly blurred to make it look gentle or romantic.
Examples
- The portrait was taken in soft focus for a dreamy effect.
- Old films often have romantic scenes shot in soft focus.
soft spot for [someone/something]
1/sˈɔft spˈɑt fɚ sˈoʊmˈoʊnsəmˈɛθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
informal
Special affection for someone/something
To like someone or something very much, often more than others.
Examples
- I have a soft spot for old movies from the 80s.
- I’ve always had a soft spot for old movies.
- She’s tough at work but has a soft spot for her cat.
- She has a soft spot for stray cats.