Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Speaking with a soft or gentle voice.
  • adjective Smooth; ingratiating.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Speaking softly; having a mild or gentle voice; hence, mild; affable; plausible.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Speaking softly; having a mild or gentle voice; hence, mild; affable.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective having a pleasant, sweet, gentle, mild speaking manner

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective having a speaking manner that is not loud or harsh

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word soft-spoken.

Examples

  • A white male she described as soft-spoken and articulate.

    Body of Evidence Patricia Cornwell 1991

  • A white male she described as soft-spoken and articulate.

    Body of Evidence Patricia Cornwell 1991

  • Naranjo, the public defender, said he never had a problem with Nellessen, whom he described as soft-spoken, courteous and polite.

    chicagotribune.com - News 2011

  • First Impression: Fynn is described as a soft-spoken and well-mannered man who’s not without charm and humor.

    5-Star Baby Name Advisor Bruce Lansky 2008

  • First Impression: Fynn is described as a soft-spoken and well-mannered man who’s not without charm and humor.

    5-Star Baby Name Advisor Bruce Lansky 2008

  • Several of Fai's colleagues in the U.S. also said they were stunned by Fai's arrest, calling the soft-spoken 62-year-old a "gentleman" who dedicated his whole life to the Kashmiri cause.

    The Seattle Times 2011

  • A soft-spoken man with a friendly demeanor, Ted guides the gathering with a soft touch, quietly adding comments here or there as each member speaks.

    American Grace Robert D. Putnam 2010

  • Morris-Kliment is a soft-spoken man with graying, bowl-cut hair, round glasses, and a dark gray beard.

    American Grace Robert D. Putnam 2010

  • During the bus boycott, local civil rights leaders described her to the press as “mild-mannered and soft-spoken,” a “lady . . . who was too sweet to even say damn in anger,” and “a typical American housewife.”

    A Renegade History of the United States Thaddeus Russell 2010

  • If you've seen Mr. Guirgis's funny, poetically profane, Tony-nominated play, "The Motherf**ker With the Hat," his modest, soft-spoken demeanor might come as a surprise.

    Growing Up With the Hat Julia M. Klein 2011

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.