Soft

How to spell soft

4 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce soft

What does soft mean?

1. adjectiveYielding easily to pressure or touch; not hard, harsh, or loud.

Soft in a sentence

• The new mattress felt remarkably soft after the firm old one.

• She spoke in a soft voice so the baby would not wake.

Where does soft come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

The word soft comes from the Old English softe, an alteration of the earlier sefte, which meant 'gentle', 'pleasant', or 'agreeable to the senses'. This in turn descended from a West Germanic root shared with Old Saxon safti and Old High German semfti, all carrying the idea of mildness and ease. The original force of the word was less about physical texture and more about something being calm, soothing, and not harsh, and only later did the sense narrow toward yielding to the touch. By the Middle English period it had settled into the spelling and broad meaning we know today, covering both physical tenderness and gentleness of manner. The word stayed almost entirely native and unborrowed, which is why its short, blunt spelling never picked up the silent letters or Latin trappings that trip people up elsewhere.

How the word is built

• soft (single Old English root, no affixes)