Meaning & use
soft to
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
Pleasant and yielding when felt or touched, especially in comparison with something else.
Grammar: Comes after a linking verb such as be, feel, or seem, and is followed by a noun or an -ing form: The seat felt soft to the child.
Patterns
- be soft to someone
- feel soft to the touch
- soft to the eye
The old blanket was still soft to the touch after so many washes.
To a person used to hard benches, this cushion feels soft to sit on.
phrasefixed phrase
Gentle or not strict in the way something is done or received, when seen from a particular point of view.
Grammar: Often used after seem or sound, followed by a person or group: The rule seems soft to students.
Patterns
- seem soft to someone
- sound soft to someone
The new deadline may seem soft to workers who are used to much tighter ones.
Her criticism sounded soft to me, but the team still took it seriously.
phrasefixed phrase
Not clearly visible or not harsh in appearance, when compared with something else.
Grammar: Used mainly about light, color, or images, after be or look, followed by a noun: The light is soft to the camera.
Patterns
- be soft to the eye
- look soft to someone
The morning light was soft to the eye and easy to photograph.
Those pale colors look soft to viewers on a small screen.
Common combinations
- soft to the touch
- The kitten's fur is soft to the touch.
- soft to sit on
- The new chairs are soft to sit on for hours.
- soft to the eye
- The pale walls are soft to the eye in bright sun.
- feel soft to someone
- The fabric feels soft to anyone who touches it.
- seem soft to someone
- The punishment seemed soft to the victims' families.
Synonyms and how they differ
- gentle to
- Use gentle to when you mean mild or careful treatment rather than physical softness.
- smooth to
- Smooth to stresses an even surface, while soft to stresses that something yields under pressure.
- soothing to
- Soothing to means calming or comforting, not physically soft.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: soft to or softer than? soft to or soft on?
soft to vs softer than
Softer than makes a direct comparison between two things, while soft to describes how something feels to a person or sense.
soft to vs soft on
Soft on means not strict about something or fond of someone, as in too soft on crime.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'soft to' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Soft to the touch' is the standard pattern meaning it feels soft when touched. 'Soft to a rock' wrongly makes a direct comparison, which needs 'softer than'; 'soft to than' mixes two patterns; and 'soft to touch it' adds an object the phrase does not take.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “soft to”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.