Not hard... It gives when you touch it... Like the fur of a kitten or a pillow. Soft objects also tend to absorb the impact when something hits them. The kinetic energy of the impact is converted into heat.

By the way, I apologize for my previous rather disgusting writeup here. I was a foolish newbie then.

Soft (?), a. [Compar. Softer (?); superl. Softest.] [OE. softe, AS. sfte, properly adv. of sfte, adj.; akin to OS. safto, adv., D. zacht, OHG. samfto, adv., semfti, adj., G. sanft, LG. sacht; of uncertain origin.]

1.

Easily yielding to pressure; easily impressed, molded, or cut; not firm in resisting; impressible; yielding; also, malleable; -- opposed to hard; as, a soft bed; a soft peach; soft earth; soft wood or metal.

2.

Not rough, rugged, or harsh to the touch; smooth; delicate; fine; as, soft silk; a soft skin.

They that wear soft clothing are in king's houses.
Matt. xi. 8.

3.

Hence, agreeable to feel, taste, or inhale; not irritating to the tissues; as, a soft liniment; soft wines.

"The soft, delicious air."

Milton.

4.

Not harsh or offensive to the sight; not glaring; pleasing to the eye; not exciting by intensity of color or violent contrast; as, soft hues or tints.

The sun, shining upon the upper part of the clouds . . . made the softest lights imaginable.
Sir T. Browne.

5.

Not harsh or rough in sound; gentle and pleasing to the ear; flowing; as, soft whispers of music.

Her voice was ever soft,
Gentle, and low, -- an excellent thing in woman.
Shak.

Soft were my numbers; who could take offense?
Pope.

6.

Easily yielding; susceptible to influence; flexible; gentle; kind.

I would to God my heart were flint, like Edward's;
Or Edward's soft and pitiful, like mine.
Shak.

The meek or soft shall inherit the earth.
Tyndale.

7.

Expressing gentleness, tenderness, or the like; mild; conciliatory; courteous; kind; as, soft eyes.

A soft answer turneth away wrath.
Prov. xv. 1.

A face with gladness overspread,
Soft smiles, by human kindness bred.
Wordsworth.

8.

Effeminate; not courageous or manly, weak.

A longing after sensual pleasures is a dissolution of the spirit of a man, and makes it loose, soft, and wandering.
Jer. Taylor.

9.

Gentle in action or motion; easy.

On her soft axle, white she paces even,
And bears thee soft with the smooth air along.
Milton.

10.

Weak in character; impressible.

The deceiver soon found this soft place of Adam's.
Glanvill.

11.

Somewhat weak in intellect.

[Colloq.]

He made soft fellows stark noddies, and such as were foolish quite mad.
Burton.

12.

Quiet; undisturbed; paceful; as, soft slumbers.

13.

Having, or consisting of, a gentle curve or curves; not angular or abrupt; as, soft outlines.

14.

Not tinged with mineral salts; adapted to decompose soap; as, soft water is the best for washing.

15. Phonetics (a)

Applied to a palatal, a sibilant, or a dental consonant (as g in gem, c in cent, etc.) as distinguished from a guttural mute (as g in go, c in cone, etc.); -- opposed to hard.

(b)

Belonging to the class of sonant elements as distinguished from the surd, and considered as involving less force in utterance; as, b, d, g, z, v, etc., in contrast with p, t, k, s, f, etc.

Soft clam Zool., the common or long clam (Mya arenaria). See Mya. -- Soft coal, bituminous coal, as distinguished from anthracite, or hard, coal. -- Soft crab Zool., any crab which has recently shed its shell. -- Soft dorsal Zool., the posterior part of the dorsal fin of fishes when supported by soft rays. -- Soft grass. Bot. See Velvet grass. -- Soft money, paper money, as distinguished from coin, or hard money. [Colloq. U.S.] -- Soft mute. Phonetics See Media. -- Soft palate. See the Note under Palate. -- Soft ray Zool., a fin ray which is articulated and usually branched. -- Soft soap. See under Soap. -- Soft-tack, leavened bread, as distinguished from hard-tack, or ship bread. -- Soft tortoise Zool., any river tortoise of the genus Trionyx. See Trionyx.

 

© Webster 1913.


Soft (?), n.

A soft or foolish person; an idiot.

[Colloq.]

G. Eliot.

 

© Webster 1913.


Soft, adv.

Softly; without roughness or harshness; gently; quietly.

Chaucer.

A knight soft riding toward them.
Spenser.

 

© Webster 1913.


Soft, interj.

Be quiet; hold; stop; not so fast.

<-- archaic or obs. -->

Soft, you; a word or two before you go.
Shak.

 

© Webster 1913.

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