SOFTNESS

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does softness mean? 

• SOFTNESS (noun)
  The noun SOFTNESS has 10 senses:

1. the property of giving little resistance to pressure and being easily cut or molded

2. poor physical condition; being out of shape or out of condition (as from a life of ease and luxury)

3. the quality of weather that is deliciously mild and soothing

4. a state of declining economic condition

5. a sound property that is free from loudness or stridency

6. a visual property that is subdued and free from brilliance or glare

7. acting in a manner that is gentle and mild and even-tempered

8. the quality of being indistinct and without sharp outlines

9. the trait of being effeminate (derogatory of a man)

10. a disposition to be lenient in judging others

  Familiarity information: SOFTNESS used as a noun is familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SOFTNESS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The property of giving little resistance to pressure and being easily cut or molded

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("softness" is a kind of...):

body; consistence; consistency; substance (the property of holding together and retaining its shape)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "softness"):

compressibility; sponginess; squeezability (the property of being able to occupy less space)

downiness; featheriness; fluffiness (a light softness)

flabbiness; flaccidity; limpness (a flabby softness)

mushiness; pulpiness (a mushy pulpy softness)

Antonym:

hardness (the property of being rigid and resistant to pressure; not easily scratched; measured on Mohs scale)

Derivation:

soft (yielding readily to pressure or weight)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Poor physical condition; being out of shape or out of condition (as from a life of ease and luxury)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

softness; unfitness

Hypernyms ("softness" is a kind of...):

health problem; ill health; unhealthiness (a state in which you are unable to function normally and without pain)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "softness"):

debility; feebleness; frailness; frailty; infirmity; valetudinarianism (the state of being weak in health or body (especially from old age))

disability; disablement; handicap; impairment (the condition of being unable to perform as a consequence of physical or mental unfitness)

Derivation:

soft (out of condition; not strong or robust; incapable of exertion or endurance)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The quality of weather that is deliciously mild and soothing

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

balminess; softness

Context example:

the climate had the softness of the south of France

Hypernyms ("softness" is a kind of...):

clemency; mildness (good weather with comfortable temperatures)

Derivation:

soft (mild and pleasant)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A state of declining economic condition

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Context example:

he attributes the disappointing results to softness in the economy

Hypernyms ("softness" is a kind of...):

economic condition (the condition of the economy)

Derivation:

soft ((of a commodity or market or currency) falling or likely to fall in value)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A sound property that is free from loudness or stridency

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Context example:

and in softness almost beyond hearing

Hypernyms ("softness" is a kind of...):

sound property (an attribute of sound)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "softness"):

faintness (barely audible)

decrescendo; diminuendo ((music) a gradual decrease in loudness)

pianissimo; piano ((music) low loudness)

Antonym:

loudness (the magnitude of sound (usually in a specified direction))

Derivation:

soft ((of speech sounds); produced with the back of the tongue raised toward the hard palate; characterized by a hissing or hushing sound (as 's' and 'sh'))

soft ((of sound) relatively low in volume)

Sense 6

Meaning:

A visual property that is subdued and free from brilliance or glare

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Context example:

the softness of the morning sky

Hypernyms ("softness" is a kind of...):

visual property (an attribute of vision)

Derivation:

soft (not brilliant or glaring)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Acting in a manner that is gentle and mild and even-tempered

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

gentleness; mildness; softness

Context example:

even in the pulpit there are moments when mildness of manner is not enough

Hypernyms ("softness" is a kind of...):

manner; personal manner (a way of acting or behaving)

Derivation:

soft (willing to negotiate and compromise)

soft (compassionate and kind; conciliatory)

Sense 8

Meaning:

The quality of being indistinct and without sharp outlines

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

blurriness; fogginess; fuzziness; indistinctness; softness

Hypernyms ("softness" is a kind of...):

opacity; opaqueness (the quality of being opaque to a degree; the degree to which something reduces the passage of light)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "softness"):

dimness; faintness (the quality of being dim or lacking contrast)

vagueness (indistinctness of shape or character)

Antonym:

sharpness (the quality of being sharp and clear)

Sense 9

Meaning:

The trait of being effeminate (derogatory of a man)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

effeminacy; effeminateness; sissiness; softness; unmanliness; womanishness

Context example:

he was shocked by the softness of the atmosphere surrounding the young prince, arising from the superfluity of the femininity that guided him

Hypernyms ("softness" is a kind of...):

femininity; muliebrity (the trait of behaving in ways considered typical for women)

Domain usage:

depreciation; derogation; disparagement (a communication that belittles somebody or something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "softness"):

emasculation (loss of power and masculinity)

Sense 10

Meaning:

A disposition to be lenient in judging others

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Context example:

softness is not something permitted of good leaders

Hypernyms ("softness" is a kind of...):

indulgence; lenience; leniency (a disposition to yield to the wishes of someone)

Derivation:

soft (tolerant or lenient)

 Context examples 

These men about me should have wives, and sisters, and daughters; then would they be capable of softness, and tenderness, and sympathy.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

I thought at the time that it was the softness of the red sunset on her face, but somehow now I think it has a deeper meaning.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

However, had they been married, they would no doubt by their severity as husbands have made up for their softness as suitors; and so will you, I fear.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Here all is softness and gentleness. Neither the human nor nature is savage. He will never know a whip-lash again. And as for the weather—why, it never snows here.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

But we are used to associate beauty with softness in a man.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I heard a good deal of Colonel Campbell's taste at Weymouth; and the softness of the upper notes I am sure is exactly what he and all that party would particularly prize.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

The materials were engineered to have a similar softness to either young or old brains.

(Cambridge scientists reverse ageing process in rat brain stem cells, University of Cambridge)

With two behavioral and electroencephalographic experiments, the study demonstrated that people of normal weight tend to associate natural foods such as apples with their sensory characteristics such as sweetness or softness.

(Our Weight Tells How We Assess Food, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

She was a pale, slender spirit, exalted far beyond the flesh; but nevertheless the softness of her palm persisted in his thoughts.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

She still preserved her proud manner, but there was a touch of softness in her voice, as she answered: I justify nothing.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)