soft-spoken
Americanadjective
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(of persons) speaking with a soft or gentle voice; mild.
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(of words) softly or mildly spoken; persuasive.
adjective
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speaking or said with a soft gentle voice
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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.
As Sir David Attenborough marks his centenary, one achievement is often overlooked: how the world's famously soft-spoken naturalist helped create an industry employing thousands and earning millions, centred on Bristol.
From BBC • May 9, 2026
If anything, I considered myself to be a soft-spoken person.
From Slate • Apr. 18, 2026
Nesbitt was a soft-spoken presence in a business of outsize egos, says Greg Williamson, a longtime pension-fund executive.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
Having studied philosophy at Sogang University in Seoul, the soft-spoken filmmaker is also known as a great lover of literature, especially Emile Zola and Philip Roth.
From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026
Govan was serious, thoughtful, and soft-spoken, equally at home in the world of scholarship and the world of political activism.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
