softball

[ sawft-bawl, soft- ]

/ ˈsɔftˌbɔl, ˈsɒft- /

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noun

a form of baseball played on a smaller diamond with a ball that is larger and softer than a baseball.

the ball itself.

something that can be easily dealt with: The confirmation committee threw her a softball on that question.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of softball

First recorded in 1925–30; soft + ball¹

Words nearby softball

S. of Sol., soft, softa, soft armor, softback, softball, softballer, soft-bill, softboard, soft-boil, soft-boiled

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use softball in a sentence

He was just 14 at the time, a young actor who played in a showbiz softball league one day and who showed up to the “Freaks and Geeks” set with his father the next.
How ‘Freaks and Geeks’ went from misfit dramedy to cult classic, as told by its cast and creators: ‘People just like it so much that it thrusts itself from the grave’|Sonia Rao|January 27, 2021|Washington Post
Powdered, unflavored gelatin is bloomed in water while a mixture of sugar and corn syrup is boiled until it reaches 238 degrees, or softball stage on a candy thermometer.
Squishy, sweet homemade marshmallows will elevate your s’mores and hot chocolate|Daniela Galarza|January 12, 2021|Washington Post
His father needed a heart transplant, his mother lost vision when a softball hit her eye — and both parents lost their jobs.
A high school student needed help with tuition, so an unlikely group stepped up: Prison inmates|Kellie B. Gormly|January 1, 2021|Washington Post
Before the pandemic, his closest male friends were from the softball team he has played with for 14 years, every Thursday evening.
No game days. No bars. The pandemic is forcing some men to realize they need deeper friendships.|Samantha Schmidt|November 30, 2020|Washington Post

If you want to dominate your local softball league, for example, focus on workouts that will help you accelerate quickly and increase your rotational power.
You should definitely rotate your workouts|John Kennedy|September 28, 2020|Popular-Science
Her back popped, leaving the former softball star frozen in excruciating pain.
Patients Screwed in Spine Surgery ‘Scam’|The Center for Investigative Reporting|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Morning talk shows should be a doddle for a President: softball questions easily answered with a platitude or three.
‘Michelle Will Not Run For Office’: Obama's Daytime TV Confessional|Lloyd Grove|May 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Erick was in the kitchen with the girls, getting ready to leave for his softball game.
The Cost: What Stop and Frisk Does to a Young Man’s Soul|Rilla Askew|May 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Walters took the opportunity to lob some off-the-cuff softball questions.
Barbara Walters’s Final ‘The View’: A Tearful Farewell Befitting an Icon|Kevin Fallon|May 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ann is a pleasant brunette, a former class officer, yearbook editor, and member of the softball team at Dryden High.
The Stacks: The Searing Story of How Murder Stalked a Tiny New York Town|E. Jean Carroll|April 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In lieu of the regulation softball used in the game of Corner Ball, Martha had stitched together a sort of large beanbag.
Blind Man's Lantern|Allen Kim Lang
The level area between the creek and the road was large enough so we could have softball games and park cars there.
The Biography of a Rabbit|Roy Benson
It is amazing that it only took us two days and there was room enough for a football field and two softball diamonds.
The Biography of a Rabbit|Roy Benson
The football field was seldom used but there was always someone playing softball.
The Biography of a Rabbit|Roy Benson
We played softball again here and I got a baseball uniform which I carried all the way home with me for a souvenir.
The Biography of a Rabbit|Roy Benson

British Dictionary definitions for softball

softball

/ (ˈsɒftˌbɔːl) /

noun

a variation of baseball using a larger softer ball, pitched underhand

the ball used

cookery the stage in the boiling of a sugar syrup at which it may be rubbed into balls after dipping in cold water

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