The air is soft, the soil moist.
Source: tatoeba (18237)
Soft
/sɒft/
Synonyms for "soft" (709 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (142)
Adjective(19 words)
accentedacceptingadoringaffectionateafraidalveolaranemicapicalapico-alveolarapico-dentalarticulatedassimilatedasthenicat peacebaccatebackbalmybarely audiblebarytonebathetic
Show 79 more words
beerybenignbilabialblandbleedingbloodlessblurredblurryborderlinebroadcacuminalcalmcarelesscasualcentralcerebralcharitablecheckedchickenchickenheartedclearclementclosecloyingcomfortablecomfycommiserativecommodiouscompassionatecomplaisantcompressibleconcordantcondolentconjugalconsonantconsonantalcontentedcontinuantconvenientcottonycowardcowardlycowedcozycreamyculliblecushionedcushionycushydaftdaintydaunteddebilitateddeceivabledecliningdecrescendodeferentialdelicatedeludabledemonstrativedentaldepresseddevoteddiffuseddimdirtydismayeddissimilateddistantdociledorsaldoughydownydroopingdroopydulldupableeasefuleasy
Noun(17 words)
Intj(1 words)
Adjective(1 words)
Adverb(2 words)
deformably flexible materialeasy
Strong matches (213)
easy as pieeasy markeasygoingeffeminateeffeteeffortlesseggshellemotionableetiolatedexploitablefacilefaintfaint-voicedfaintheartedfaintishfaithfulfatuousfearfulfeatheryfeeble
Show 132 more words
feeblemindedfemininefilialfineflabbyflaccidflatflatteryfleecyfleshyflexibleflexileflexuousfloppyfluffyfoggyfondfoolablefoolishforbearantforbearingforcelessforgivingformlessfrailfriendlyfrontfunkingfunkyfurryfuzzygentleglibglideglossglossalglottalgonegone to seedgooeygreengulliblegushinggutlessgutturalhalcyonhalf-heardhardharmlessheavyhenheartedhighhoaxablehomelikehomelyhomeyhoodwinkablehumanhumanehumbugablehusbandlyidyllicimbecileimpotentimpreciseimpressionableindifferentindistinctindulgentinfirmingenuousinsipidintimidatedintonatediridescentjudiciouskindlabiallabiodentallabiovelarlanguidlanguishinglanguorouslaterallaxlazylenientliberallightlikinglily liveredlily-liveredlimberlimplingualliquidlistlesslived inlived-inlooselovelornlovesicklovesomelovinglowlow-keylustlessluxuriousmaceratedmalleablemarrowlessmasticatedmaternalmattemaudlinmawkishmellifluentmellifluousmellowmellowymelodiousmeltingmercifulmickey mousemidmildmild as milkmilk-liveredmilksoppishmilksoppymirymoderate
Adjective(31 words)
Noun(21 words)
fine topsoilflannelfluid vesiclefoulardfuzzy logicsgentle nudgegentle pullgentle remindergentle wateringgentlinggerman weichgrant free passagehushindulgingitalian calmaless solidlight bouncelow glowlow impactlow-contrast lighting
Show 1 more word
Verb(2 words)
Related words (354)
Adjective(45 words)
mollifiedmonophthongalmother-of-pearlmousymuckymuddymuliebrousmurmuredmushymutednacreousnaivenamby pambynamby-pambynarrownasalnasalizednegligentnervelessnoiseless
Show 254 more words
nonalcoholicnonintoxicatingnonresistivenonrigidnonviolentnostalgicnostomanicnothing to itocclusiveoffold-womanishon the downgradeoozyopalescentopenopulentorderlyout of conditionout of shapeout of trainingoverindulgentoverpermissiveoversentimentaloversentimentalizedovertimidovertimorousoxytonepacificpacifisticpainlesspalatalpalatalizedpalepamperedpanic-pronepanickypappyparentalpassiblepastelpastoralpastypaternalpatientpatinaedpeaceablepeacefulpeacetimepearlypermissivepersuadablepharyngealpharyngealizedphonemicphoneticphonicpianissimopianopigeonheartedpipingpitchpitchedpithlesspithypityingplainplashyplasticpleasantpliablepliantplushplushypoopedposhposttonicpowerlessprissyprudentpulpalpulparpulpedpulplikepulpypunyquaggyquestionablequietrabbityreceptiverelaxedrelaxingremissreposefulresponsiverestfulretroflexrichritzyromanticroomyroundedrubberyrun to seedrustyruthfulsadsaplesssappysatinyscarcely heardschmaltzyseduceablesemiglosssemivowelsensiblesensitivesentimentalsentimentalizedserenesilkensilkysillysimplesimple as abcsinewlesssissifiedsissysissyishslabbyslacksleekslippingslipshodslobbysloppysloshysloughyslowsludgyslushysmoothsnapsnugsobersoft as puttysoft-coloredsoft-huedsoft-soundingsoft-voicedsoftenedsoftheartedsombersonantsoothingspinelesssplashyspongysposhyspringlikesquashysquelchysquishysquushystickystiffstoppedstraightforwardstrengthlessstressedstrongsuavesubaudiblesubduedsubmissivesubtlesucculentsummerysupplesurdsusceptibleswankysweetsyllabicsympatheticsympathizingtametastetear jerkingtear-jerkingtearytemperatetendertenderheartedtensethickthroatytimidtimoroustoleranttonaltonictranquilturbidtwangyunaccentedunburdensomeunclearuncomplicatedundemandingunderstandingunhardeneduninebriatingunmanlyunmannedunnervedunprofitableunrestrainedunroundedunsophisticatedunstressedunstrunguntroubleduxoriousvelarvelvetyvictimizablevocalicvocoidvoicedvoicelessvowelvowellikewarmwarmheartedweakweak kneedweak mindedweak-kneedweak-mindedweak-voicedweakheartedweaklywhisper-softwhisperedwhite-liveredwidewifelywitlesswomanishwoollyworkableyellowyielding
Noun(24 words)
most claylikemost deformablemost gentle-nudgepaper becomes moistpianissimipillowingplumpspowderpuffputtyputtyingrunny eggshushingsoft touchsqueezable toysquishingstuffed animalteddytender bidtenderertenderly spoken
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: gentle, lenient, mild, accented, accepting.
- Sentence evidence is available for soft, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "soft".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "soft"
Keep "soft" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "soft" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "soft", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "soft" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
4 entriesacoustic propertybehavior descriptorenforcement stylematerial property
More specific
10 entrieslenient gradingsoft approachsoft disciplinesoft fabricsoft murmursoft soilsoft tissuesoft voicesoft whispersoft wood
Collocations
6 entriessoft coversoft drinksoft skillssoft soilsoft tissuesoft wood
Inflections
2 entriesDerivations
7 entriesAntonyms
3 entriessimilar
82 entriesShowing 16 of 82 words.
Translations
27 translations across 20 languages.
Bulgarian
1 entries- тих adj (of a sound)
Central Kurdish
2 entries- نەرم adj (of a sound)
- ھێمن adj (of a sound)
Dutch
2 entries- stil adj (of a sound)
- zacht adj (of a sound)
Esperanto
1 entries- milda adj (of a sound)
Finnish
1 entries- vaimea adj (of a sound)
German
1 entries- leise adj (of a sound)
Hawaiian
1 entries- polinahe adj (of a sound)
Hungarian
2 entries- csendes adj (of a sound)
- halk adj (of a sound)
Irish
1 entries- séimh adj (of a sound)
Italian
1 entries- dolce adj (of a sound)
Latvian
1 entries- mīksts adj (of a sound)
Māori
3 entries- mārire adj (of a sound)
- riki adj (of a sound)
- ririki adj (of a sound)
Norwegian
1 entries- myk adj (of a sound)
Polish
1 entries- cichy adj (of a sound)
Portuguese
1 entries- suave adj (of a sound)
Romanian
1 entries- încet adj (of a sound)
Russian
1 entries- ти́хий adj (of a sound)
Scottish Gaelic
2 entries- binn adj (of a sound)
- mìn adj (of a sound)
Spanish
1 entries- tenue adj (of a sound)
Vietnamese
2 entries- khẽ adj (of a sound)
- khẽ khàng adj (of a sound)
Sample sentences
59 total sentences available.
My muscles have become soft.
Source: tatoeba (18807)
Sweet scents are borne on soft breezes.
Source: tatoeba (21007)
The candle's flame is flickering in the soft breeze.
Source: tatoeba (29463)
Showing 4 of 59 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "soft"?
Closest matches include gentle, lenient, mild, accented, accepting.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "soft"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.