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soft-spoken

American  
[sawft-spoh-kuhn, soft-] / ˈsɔftˈspoʊ kən, ˈsɒft- /

adjective

  1. (of persons) speaking with a soft or gentle voice; mild.

  2. (of words) softly or mildly spoken; persuasive.


soft-spoken British  

adjective

  1. speaking or said with a soft gentle voice

  2. able to persuade or impress by glibness of tongue

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

See Examples For:

They describe Machchhar, who is in his 30s and holds more than a decade of flying experience, as a soft-spoken, helpful and "always smiling" man who has remained calm under pressure since childhood.

From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026

But the young men prove the soft-spoken themes about the pressure to act tough.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 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

A soft-spoken young man, Jesse Owens was the son of black Alabama sharecroppers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

Her own life with her soft-spoken widowed mother had been different.

From "Gathering Blue" by Lois Lowry

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