noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   A situation where a game remains apparently playable, but further progress is impossible, typically due to a design flaw or glitch.

   "I defeated the boss, but got hit at the exact same time; now I'm stuck in a softlock and can't exit the level."

Verb

1. 1
   To be in or cause a softlock; to remain playable but unable to progress. intransitive, transitive

Synonyms

All synonyms

gay baby jailunwinnablewalking dead

Example

More examples

"I defeated the boss, but got hit at the exact same time; now I'm stuck in a softlock and can't exit the level."

Etymology

From soft + lock.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.