soft
gb/sˈɔft/ us/sˈɔft/
A1
Anglais
~ 1500
Sens
0 sens
adjective
A1
property
1
Smooth to the touch
Not hard or rough; easy and nice to touch.
Schéma d’usage :
[something] is soft
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'soft' with 'smooth'. 'Smooth' means no roughness, while 'soft' means easy to press or bend.
Synonymes
smooth (Emphasizes the absence of roughness, not necessarily yielding.)
Antonymes
hard (Firm and solid, opposite of yielding or gentle to the touch.)
Collocations
soft pillow
|soft fabric
|soft skin
|soft blanket
Thèmes
daily life
|senses
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The baby's skin felt incredibly soft.
- This blanket is so soft and warm.
- I prefer soft towels after a shower.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The bed is soft.
- Her hair is soft.
- This chair is soft.
adjective
A2
property
2
Quiet or gentle in sound
Not loud; quiet and gentle in sound.
Schéma d’usage :
[something] is soft
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may use 'quiet' when they mean 'soft' to suggest gentleness of tone.
Synonymes
quiet (General term for low volume, without implying gentleness.)
Antonymes
loud (High in volume, opposite of quiet or gentle in sound.)
Collocations
soft voice
|soft music
|soft whisper
Thèmes
music
|daily life
|communication
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- She spoke in a soft voice so as not to wake the baby.
- Soft music was playing in the background.
- His tone was soft and calming.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The music is soft.
- He has a soft voice.
- She talks soft.
adjective
B1
property
3
Kind and gentle nature
Kind and gentle; not harsh or strict.
Schéma d’usage :
[someone] is soft (with [someone/something])
Erreur fréquente :
Some learners misunderstand 'soft' here as lacking strength rather than being kind.
Synonymes
gentle (Emphasizes mildness and care in behavior.)
Antonymes
harsh (Severe or unkind in manner, opposite of gentle.)
Collocations
soft heart
|soft approach
|soft touch
Thèmes
emotions
|personality
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- He has a soft heart and always helps others.
- Her soft approach made the child feel safe.
- Don't be too soft on them—they need discipline.
Exemples pédagogiques
- My teacher is very soft.
- He is soft with children.
- She has a soft heart.
adjective
A2
property
4
Gently toned color or light
Not bright; gentle and easy on the eyes.
Schéma d’usage :
[something] is soft (color/light)
Synonymes
muted (Specifically refers to subdued colors, not necessarily light.)
Antonymes
bright (Strong and intense in light or color.)
Collocations
soft light
|soft colors
|soft glow
Thèmes
art
|design
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The room was lit by soft candlelight.
- She wore a dress in soft pastel shades.
- Morning brought a soft glow over the hills.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The light is soft.
- Her dress is a soft blue.
- The room has soft colors.
adjective
A2
property
5
Easily shaped when pressed
Easy to press, bend, or shape; not hard.
Schéma d’usage :
[something] is soft (material)
Synonymes
pliable (Emphasizes flexibility and ease of shaping.)
Antonymes
rigid (Stiff and not easily bent.)
Collocations
soft clay
|soft bread
|soft soil
Thèmes
materials
|daily life
|science
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The clay should be soft before you start modeling it.
- Soft bread is best for making sandwiches.
- After the rain, the ground was soft underfoot.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The bread is soft.
- The ground is soft after rain.
- This clay is soft.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
soft
API
GB/sˈɔft/
US/sˈɔft/
Syllabes et accentuation
soft (1 syllabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (soft)
Formes du mot
Adjective
- Base: soft
- Comparative: softer
- Superlative: softest
Famille de mots
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.
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples
- 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.
Exemples
- 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.