softness
The quality of something that is easy to press or bend and feels nice when you touch it.
The physical quality of a material or surface that is easily pressed, bent, or shaped and feels smooth or pleasant to the touch.
The quality of a sound or light that is not strong, loud, or bright, but gentle.
The quality of a sound or light being gentle and low in intensity, not loud, bright, or harsh.
The quality of a person who is gentle and kind and not very strict with other people.
A gentle and kind quality in a person’s character, behavior, or way of treating others, especially by not being severe or strict.
The state of not being tough, strong, or strict enough, usually seen as something bad.
A lack of toughness, strength, or strictness in a person, group, or system, often criticized as a kind of weakness.
A situation in business or the economy where prices or demand are a bit weak or going down, but not very strongly.
A condition in a market, economy, or price level where demand or prices are somewhat weak or declining, but not collapsing.
- Base: softness
- Plural: softness, softnesses
softness of heart
1kind and easily forgiving nature
The quality of a person who feels a lot of pity or love and forgives other people easily.
- It was her softness of heart that led her to adopt three children.
- Out of softness of heart, he decided not to press charges.
- His softness of heart is both his greatest strength and his greatest weakness.
softness on crime
1not strict enough toward crime
The idea that someone, usually a politician or government, is not strict enough with criminals.
- The minister rejected accusations of softness on crime.
- No candidate wants to appear to show softness on crime during the election.
- New laws were introduced to counter the perceived softness on crime in recent years.
the softness of
1talking about softness as a quality
Used before a noun to talk about how soft, gentle, or not harsh something is, for example in touch, sound, light, or behavior.
- We admired the softness of the blanket as we wrapped it around us.
- The photographer loved the softness of the morning light.
- Everyone noticed the softness of her voice when she spoke to the children.
with surprising softness
1in a gentler way than expected
Used to say that someone speaks or acts in a much gentler way than people thought they would.
- He spoke with surprising softness after such a heated argument.
- The teacher, known for being strict, handled the mistake with surprising softness.
- She answered the difficult question with surprising softness and patience.