soft-spoken

adjective

soft-spo·​ken ˈsȯf(t)-ˈspō-kən 

: having a mild or gentle voice

also : suave

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

For a wealthy, handsome, globe-trotting athlete, Mr. Sargeant can be soft-spoken and endearingly self-conscious. —Michael M. Grynbaum, New York Times, 13 May 2023

Opinion polls show Erdogan trailing Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the soft-spoken, 74-year-old presidential candidate backed by a united bloc of opposition parties. —Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 10 May 2023

Opposite Robbins’ soft-spoken, pragmatically insinuating nuance and Ferguson’s fiery and perpetual irritation, Common’s lack of inflection leaves the show with a conflict deficit. —Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 May 2023

Then in her early 30s, Black Bear was soft-spoken, unassuming and deceptively tenacious. —Mona Gable, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Apr. 2023

The comedy — about a soft-spoken, curly-haired painter with a public TV show and a fervent female following — is (very) loosely inspired by the man who whipped up landscapes in 30 minutes on PBS's 1983-94 series The Joy of Painting. —Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2023

The Rhode Island native is soft-spoken and cerebral, possessing a seemingly endless curiosity for sourcing atypical ingredients, rethinking old favorites and exploring new cooking methodologies. —Andrea E. Mchugh, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Apr. 2023

Good thing the guy (Bill Skarsgård) who’s staying there seems so sweet, soft-spoken, and accommodating. —Wired, WIRED, 30 Mar. 2023

Susan Cianciolo, a soft-spoken but subversive figure on New York City’s 1990s creative scene, designed 11 Run collections between 1995 and 2001. —Laird Borrelli-persson, Vogue, 30 Mar. 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

1616, in the meaning defined above