Rough vs. Soft — What's the Difference?

Having an uneven or irregular surface; not smooth or level

Easy to mould, cut, compress, or fold; not hard or firm to the touch

(of a person or their behaviour) not gentle; violent or boisterous

Having a pleasing quality involving a subtle effect or contrast rather than sharp definition

Not finished tidily or decoratively; plain and basic

Sympathetic, lenient, or compassionate, especially to a degree perceived as excessive; not strict or sufficiently strict

(of a voice) harsh and rasping

(of a drink) not alcoholic.

Not exact or precise; approximate

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

Difficult and unpleasant or unfair

(of water) containing relatively low concentrations of dissolved calcium and magnesium salts and therefore lathering easily with soap

In a manner that lacks gentleness; harshly or violently

Foolish; silly

A disreputable and violent person

(of a consonant) pronounced as a fricative (as c in ice).

(on a golf course) longer grass around the fairway and the green

In a quiet or gentle way

A preliminary sketch

In a weak or foolish way

An uncut precious stone

Yielding readily to pressure or weight

Work or shape (something) in a rough, preliminary fashion

Easily molded, cut, or worked

Make uneven

(Sports) Not tense and therefore capable of absorbing the impact of a ball or puck and of catching, receiving, or controlling it

Live in discomfort with only basic necessities

Out of condition; flabby

Having a surface marked by irregularities, protuberances, or ridges; not smooth

Smooth or fine to the touch

Coarse or shaggy to the touch

Not loud, harsh, or irritating

Difficult to travel over or through

Not brilliant or glaring; subdued

Characterized by violent motion; turbulent

Not sharply drawn or delineated

Difficult to endure or live through, especially because of harsh or inclement weather

Mild; balmy

Unpleasant or difficult

Tender or affectionate

Characterized by or done with violence or forcefulness

Attracted or emotionally involved

Boisterous, disorderly, or given to violence

Not stern; lenient

Characterized by violence or crime

Lacking strength of character; weak

Lacking polish or finesse

(Informal) Simple-minded or foolish

Harsh to the ear

Not demanding or difficult; easy

Being in a natural state

Based on conciliation or compromise

Not perfected, completed, or fully detailed

Gradually declining in trend; not firm

The surface or part of something that is uneven or coarse

(Sports) Scored on a shot that the goalie should have blocked

Rugged overgrown terrain.

Informal and entertaining without confronting difficult issues or hard facts

(Sports) The area of a golf hole in which the grass is left unmowed or is cut to a length longer than that of the fairway.

Using or based on data that is not readily quantifiable or amenable to experimental verification or refutation

A disorderly, unrefined, or unfinished state.

Softcore.

A difficult or disagreeable aspect or condition of something

Being a turn in a specific direction at an angle less acute than other possible routes

A person given to violent or disorderly behavior; a rowdy.

Of or relating to a paper currency as distinct from a hard currency backed by gold.

To treat roughly or with physical violence

Having low dissolved mineral content

(Sports) To treat (an opposing player) with unnecessary roughness, often in violation of the rules

Nonalcoholic.

To prepare or indicate in an unfinished form

Nonaddictive or mildly addictive. Used of certain drugs.

In a rough manner; roughly

Having a low or lower power of penetration

Not smooth; uneven.

Sibilant rather than guttural, as c in certain and g in gem.

Approximate; hasty or careless; not finished.

Voiced and weakly articulated

Turbulent.

Palatalized, as certain consonants in Slavic languages.

Difficult; trying.

Unprotected against or vulnerable to attack

Crude; unrefined.

In a soft manner; gently.

Worn; shabby; weather-beaten.

Easily yielding to pressure; easily impressed, molded, or cut; not firm in resisting; impressible; yielding; also, malleable; - opposed to hard; as, a soft bed; a soft peach; soft earth; soft wood or metal.

Violent; not careful or subtle.

Not rough, rugged, or harsh to the touch; smooth; delicate; fine; as, soft silk; a soft skin.

Loud and hoarse; offensive to the ear; harsh; grating.

Hence, agreeable to feel, taste, or inhale; not irritating to the tissues; as, a soft liniment; soft wines.

(of a gem) Not polished; uncut.

Not harsh or offensive to the sight; not glaring; pleasing to the eye; not exciting by intensity of color or violent contrast; as, soft hues or tints.

Harsh-tasting.

Not harsh or rough in sound; gentle and pleasing to the ear; flowing; as, soft whispers of music.

Somewhat ill; sick; in poor condition.

Easily yielding; susceptible to influence; flexible; gentle; kind.

Unwell due to alcohol; hungover.

Expressing gentleness, tenderness, or the like; mild; conciliatory; courteous; kind; as, soft eyes.

The unmowed part of a golf course.

Effeminate; not courageous or manly, weak.

A rude fellow; a coarse bully; a rowdy.

Gentle in action or motion; easy.

(cricket) A scuffed and roughened area of the pitch, where the bowler's feet fall, used as a target by spin bowlers because of its unpredictable bounce.

Weak in character; impressible.

The raw material from which faceted or cabochon gems are created.

Somewhat weak in intellect.

A quick sketch, similar to a thumbnail but larger and more detailed, used for artistic brainstorming.

Quiet; undisturbed; paceful; as, soft slumbers.

(obsolete) Boisterous weather.

Having, or consisting of, a gentle curve or curves; not angular or abrupt; as, soft outlines.

A piece inserted in a horseshoe to keep the animal from slipping.

Not tinged with mineral salts; adapted to decompose soap; as, soft water is the best for washing.

To create in an approximate form.

Applied to a palatal, a sibilant, or a dental consonant (as g in gem, c in cent, etc.) as distinguished from a guttural mute (as g in go, c in cone, etc.); - opposed to hard.

(ice hockey) To commit the offense of roughing, i.e. to punch another player.

A soft or foolish person; an idiot.

To render rough; to roughen.

Softly; without roughness or harshness; gently; quietly.

To break in (a horse, etc.), especially for military purposes.

Be quiet; hold; stop; not so fast.

To endure primitive conditions.

Lacking in hardness relatively or comparatively

(transitive) To roughen a horse's shoes to keep the animal from slipping.

Metaphorically soft;

In a rough manner; rudely; roughly.

Of sound; relatively low in volume;

Having inequalities, small ridges, or points, on the surface; not smooth or plain; as, a rough board; a rough stone; rough cloth.

Easily hurt;

Not polished; uncut; - said of a gem; as, a rough diamond.

Used chiefly as a direction or description in music;

Hence, figuratively, lacking refinement, gentleness, or polish.

Used of beverages; not containing alcohol;

Marked by coarseness; shaggy; ragged; disordered; - said of dress, appearance, or the like; as, a rough coat.

Of speech sounds; characterized by a hissing or hushing sound (as `s' and `sh')

Marked by severity or violence; harsh; hard; as, rough measures or actions.

Tolerant or lenient;

Loud and hoarse; offensive to the ear; harsh; grating; - said of sound, voice, and the like; as, a rough tone; rough numbers.

Having little impact;

Austere; harsh to the taste; as, rough wine.

Not burdensome or demanding; borne or done easily and without hardship;

Hastily or carelessly done; wanting finish; incomplete; as, a rough estimate; a rough draught.

In a relaxed manner; or without hardship;

Produced offhand.

Boisterous weather.

A rude fellow; a coarse bully; a rowdy.

In a rough manner; rudely; roughly.

To render rough; to roughen.

To break in, as a horse, especially for military purposes.

To cut or make in a hasty, rough manner; - with out; as, to rough out a carving, a sketch.

The part of a golf course bordering the fairway where the grass is not cut short

Prepare in preliminary or sketchy form

Having or caused by an irregular surface;

(of persons or behavior) lacking refinement or finesse;

Not quite exact or correct;

Full of hardship or trials;

Violently agitated and turbulent;

Unpleasantly harsh or grating in sound;

Ready and able to resort to force or violence;

Of the margin of a leaf shape; having the edge cut or fringed or scalloped

Not shaped by cutting or trimming;

Not carefully or expertly made;

Not perfected;

Unpleasantly stern;

With roughness or violence (`rough' is an informal variant for `roughly');

With rough motion as over a rough surface;