Meaning & use
soft-spoken
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UK/ˌsɒftˈspəʊkən/
US/ˌsɔːftˈspoʊkən/
Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Having a quiet, gentle way of talking, which often makes a person seem calm, modest or kind.
Grammar: Works before a noun or after be: a soft-spoken man, or he is soft-spoken.
Patterns
- a soft-spoken person
- be soft-spoken
Our soft-spoken librarian never raises her voice, yet everyone listens.
He is so soft-spoken that I had to lean in to hear him.
The coach was a soft-spoken man who led by example.
Word forms
| comparative | more soft-spoken |
|---|---|
| superlative | most soft-spoken |
Common combinations
- soft-spoken man
- A soft-spoken man answered the door.
- soft-spoken woman
- She was a soft-spoken woman with a quick sense of humor.
- quiet and soft-spoken
- The new teacher is quiet and soft-spoken.
- gentle, soft-spoken manner
- His gentle, soft-spoken manner put the patients at ease.
- surprisingly soft-spoken
- For a famous general, he was surprisingly soft-spoken.
Synonyms and how they differ
- quiet
- Quiet is broader and can mean shy or silent, whereas soft-spoken is specifically about a gentle voice.
- mild-mannered
- Mild-mannered describes overall temperament, not just how loudly someone talks.
- gentle
- Gentle covers behavior and touch as well, so it is less focused on voice than soft-spoken.
- low-key
- Low-key describes a relaxed, unshowy style, but not necessarily a soft voice.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: soft-spoken or soft-hearted?
soft-spoken vs soft-hearted
Soft-hearted means kind and easily moved by others' feelings, not quiet in voice.
Practice
The principal was soft-spoken, so the students ___.
Choose one answer.
A soft-spoken person talks quietly, so listeners must lean in. The other options describe loud speech.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “soft-spoken”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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