soft-spoken
Americanadjective
-
(of persons) speaking with a soft or gentle voice; mild.
-
(of words) softly or mildly spoken; persuasive.
adjective
-
speaking or said with a soft gentle voice
-
able to persuade or impress by glibness of tongue
Etymology
Origin of soft-spoken
First recorded in 1600–10
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Says the soft-spoken Cockrell of the gig: “It was pretty rocking.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
They’re basically soft-spoken toxic boys who have convinced themselves that being gentle in delivery automatically makes them healthy communicators.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
In 2018, Inc. magazine wrote that at age 80, he “possesses, beneath the kindly exterior of a soft-spoken Florida retiree, a spine of steel.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
But soft-spoken Talarico's message of returning to decency, fighting corruption and ending divisive culture wars has resonated across the second-most populous state and economic powerhouse.
From Barron's ● Jun. 13, 2026
I chose the professor of my Jewish history class, because he was quiet and soft-spoken.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
