soft-spoken

adjective

soft-spo·​ken ˈsȯf(t)-ˈspō-kən How to pronounce soft-spoken (audio)
: 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 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'soft-spoken.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1616, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of soft-spoken was in 1616

Dictionary Entries Near soft-spoken

Cite this Entry

“Soft-spoken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soft-spoken. Accessed 29 May. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!