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Soft vs. Tough — What's the Difference?

Soft vs. Tough — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Soft and Tough

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Soft

Easy to mould, cut, compress, or fold; not hard or firm to the touch
The ground was soft beneath their feet
Soft margarine

Tough

(of a substance or object) strong enough to withstand adverse conditions or rough handling
Tough rucksacks for climbers

Soft

Having a pleasing quality involving a subtle effect or contrast rather than sharp definition
The moon's pale light cast soft shadows
The soft glow of the lamps

Tough

Able to endure hardship or pain
She was as tough as old boots

Soft

Sympathetic, lenient, or compassionate, especially to a degree perceived as excessive; not strict or sufficiently strict
Julia's soft heart was touched by his grief
The government is not becoming soft on crime
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Tough

Demonstrating a strict and uncompromising approach
Police have been getting tough with drivers
Tough new laws on tobacco advertising

Soft

(of a drink) not alcoholic.

Tough

Strong and prone to violence
Tough young teenagers

Soft

(of a market, currency, or commodity) falling or likely to fall in value
Now a new factor looms: soft oil prices
The rouble, so soft that it buys nothing worth having

Tough

A rough and violent man
A gang of toughs

Soft

(of water) containing relatively low concentrations of dissolved calcium and magnesium salts and therefore lathering easily with soap
You use only half as much soap when you clean with soft water

Tough

Endure a period of hardship or difficulty.

Soft

Foolish; silly
He must be going soft in the head

Tough

Able to withstand great strain without tearing or breaking; strong and resilient
A tough all-weather fabric.

Soft

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

Tough

Hard to cut or chew
Tough meat.

Soft

In a quiet or gentle way
I can just speak soft and she'll hear me

Tough

Physically hardy; rugged
Tough mountaineers.
A tough cop.

Soft

In a weak or foolish way
Don't talk soft

Tough

Strong-minded; resolute
A tough negotiator.

Soft

Yielding readily to pressure or weight
A soft melon.
A soft pillow.

Tough

Aggressive; pugnacious.

Soft

Easily molded, cut, or worked
Soft wood.

Tough

Inclined to violent or disruptive behavior; rowdy or rough
A tough street group.

Soft

(Sports) Not tense and therefore capable of absorbing the impact of a ball or puck and of catching, receiving, or controlling it
A receiver with soft hands.

Tough

Difficult to endure; severe; harsh
A tough winter.

Soft

Out of condition; flabby
Got soft sitting at a desk all day.

Tough

Trying or unpleasant
Had a tough day.

Soft

Smooth or fine to the touch
A soft fabric.
Soft fur.

Tough

Difficult to deal with; demanding or troubling
It's tough to go to school and work a full-time job. The exam had many tough questions.

Soft

Not loud, harsh, or irritating
A soft voice.

Tough

(Informal) Unfortunate; too bad
It was a tough break to get sick on the day of the concert.

Soft

Not brilliant or glaring; subdued
Soft colors.

Tough

(Slang) Fine; great.

Soft

Not sharply drawn or delineated
Soft charcoal shading.
A scene filmed in soft focus.

Tough

A violent or rowdy person; a hoodlum or thug.

Soft

Mild; balmy
A soft breeze.

Tough

(of a material) Strong and resilient; sturdy.
The tent, made of tough canvas, held up to many abuses.

Soft

Tender or affectionate
A soft glance.

Tough

(of food) Difficult to cut or chew.
To soften a tough cut of meat, the recipe suggested simmering it for hours.

Soft

Attracted or emotionally involved
He has been soft on her for years.

Tough

(of a person or animal) Rugged or physically hardy.
Only a tough species will survive in the desert.

Soft

Not stern; lenient
A coach who was soft on his players.

Tough

(of a person) Stubborn or persistent; capable of stubbornness or persistence.
He had a reputation as a tough negotiator.

Soft

Lacking strength of character; weak
Too soft for the pressure of being a spy.

Tough

(of weather, etc.) Harsh or severe.

Soft

(Informal) Simple-minded or foolish
He's soft in the head.

Tough

Rowdy or rough.
A bunch of the tough boys from the wrong side of the tracks threatened him.

Soft

Not demanding or difficult; easy
A soft job.

Tough

(of questions, etc.) Difficult or demanding.
This is a tough crowd.

Soft

Based on conciliation or compromise
Took a soft line toward their opponents.

Tough

(material science) Undergoing plastic deformation before breaking.

Soft

Gradually declining in trend; not firm
A soft economy.
A soft computer market.

Tough

(slang) Used to indicate lack of sympathy
If you don't like it, tough!

Soft

(Sports) Scored on a shot that the goalie should have blocked
A soft goal.

Tough

A person who obtains things by force; a thug or bully.
They were doing fine until they encountered a bunch of toughs from the opposition.

Soft

Informal and entertaining without confronting difficult issues or hard facts
Limited the discussion to soft topics.

Tough

To endure.

Soft

Using or based on data that is not readily quantifiable or amenable to experimental verification or refutation
The lawyer downplayed the soft evidence.

Tough

To toughen.

Soft

Softcore.

Tough

Having the quality of flexibility without brittleness; yielding to force without breaking; capable of resisting great strain; as, the ligaments of animals are remarkably tough.

Soft

Being a turn in a specific direction at an angle less acute than other possible routes
A soft right.

Tough

Not easily broken; able to endure hardship; firm; strong; - of objects and people; as, tough sinews.
A body made of brass, the crone demands, . . . Tough to the last, and with no toil to tire.
The basis of his character was caution combined with tough tenacity of purpose.

Soft

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

Tough

Not easily separated; viscous; clammy; tenacious; as, tough phlegm.

Soft

Having low dissolved mineral content
Soft water.

Tough

Stiff; rigid; not flexible; stubborn; as, a tough bow.
So tough a frame she could not bend.

Soft

Nonalcoholic.

Tough

Severe; violent; as, a tough storm.

Soft

Nonaddictive or mildly addictive. Used of certain drugs.

Tough

Difficult to do, perform, or accomplish; as, a tough job.

Soft

Having a low or lower power of penetration
Soft x-rays.

Tough

Prone to aggressive or violent behavior; rowdyish; - of people, or groups; as, a tough neighborhood; a tough character.

Soft

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

Tough

A person who is tough{7}; a ruffian; a thug; as, a cluster of neighborhood toughs hanging out on the corner.

Soft

Voiced and weakly articulated
A soft consonant.

Tough

Someone who learned to fight in the streets rather than being formally trained in the sport of boxing

Soft

Palatalized, as certain consonants in Slavic languages.

Tough

An aggressive and violent young criminal

Soft

Unprotected against or vulnerable to attack
A soft target.

Tough

A cruel and brutal fellow

Soft

In a soft manner; gently.

Tough

Not given to gentleness or sentimentality;
A tough character

Soft

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.

Tough

Very difficult; severely testing stamina or resolution;
A rugged competitive examination
The rugged conditions of frontier life
The competition was tough
It's a tough life
It was a tough job

Soft

Not rough, rugged, or harsh to the touch; smooth; delicate; fine; as, soft silk; a soft skin.
They that wear soft clothing are in king's houses.

Tough

Physically toughened;
The tough bottoms of his feet

Soft

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

Tough

Substantially made or constructed;
Sturdy steel shelves
Sturdy canvas
A tough all-weather fabric
Some plastics are as tough as metal

Soft

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.
The sun, shining upon the upper part of the clouds . . . made the softest lights imaginable.

Tough

Violent and lawless;
The more ruffianly element
Tough street gangs

Soft

Not harsh or rough in sound; gentle and pleasing to the ear; flowing; as, soft whispers of music.
Her voice was ever soft,Gentle, and low, - an excellent thing in woman.
Soft were my numbers; who could take offense?

Tough

Feeling physical discomfort or pain (`tough' is occasionally used colloquially for `bad');
My throat feels bad
She felt bad all over
He was feeling tough after a restless night

Soft

Easily yielding; susceptible to influence; flexible; gentle; kind.
I would to God my heart were flint, like Edward's;Or Edward's soft and pitiful, like mine.
The meek or soft shall inherit the earth.

Tough

Tough to cut or chew

Soft

Expressing gentleness, tenderness, or the like; mild; conciliatory; courteous; kind; as, soft eyes.
A soft answer turneth away wrath.
A face with gladness overspread,Soft smiles, by human kindness bred.

Tough

Unfortunate or hard to bear;
Had hard luck
A tough break

Soft

Effeminate; not courageous or manly, weak.
A longing after sensual pleasures is a dissolution of the spirit of a man, and makes it loose, soft, and wandering.

Soft

Gentle in action or motion; easy.
On her soft axle, white she paces even,And bears thee soft with the smooth air along.

Soft

Weak in character; impressible.
The deceiver soon found this soft place of Adam's.

Soft

Somewhat weak in intellect.
He made soft fellows stark noddies, and such as were foolish quite mad.

Soft

Quiet; undisturbed; paceful; as, soft slumbers.

Soft

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

Soft

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

Soft

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.

Soft

A soft or foolish person; an idiot.

Soft

Softly; without roughness or harshness; gently; quietly.
A knight soft riding toward them.

Soft

Be quiet; hold; stop; not so fast.
Soft, you; a word or two before you go.

Soft

Lacking in hardness relatively or comparatively

Soft

Metaphorically soft;
My father is a soft touch
Soft light
A soft rain
A soft Southern drawl
Soft brown eyes
A soft glance

Soft

Of sound; relatively low in volume;
Soft voices
Soft music

Soft

Easily hurt;
Soft hands
A baby's delicate skin

Soft

Used chiefly as a direction or description in music;
The piano passages in the composition

Soft

Used of beverages; not containing alcohol;
Nonalcoholic beverages
Soft drinks

Soft

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

Soft

Tolerant or lenient;
Indulgent parents risk spoiling their children
Procedures are lax and discipline is weak
Too soft on the children

Soft

Having little impact;
An easy pat on the shoulder
Gentle rain
A gentle breeze
A soft (or light) tapping at the window

Soft

Not burdensome or demanding; borne or done easily and without hardship;
What a cushy job!
A soft job

Soft

In a relaxed manner; or without hardship;
Just wanted to take it easy

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