softball

noun

soft·​ball ˈsȯf(t)-ˌbȯl 

1

: a sport similar to baseball played on a small diamond with a ball that is larger than a baseball and that is pitched underhand

also : the ball used in this game

2

: a question requiring only an easy or simple response

softballer

ˈsȯf(t)-ˌbȯ-lər 

noun

Examples of softball in a Sentence

Do you want to play softball?

All the questions in the interview were softballs.

Recent Examples on the Web

She had recently been promoted to district manager with Signet Jewelers and documented softball games for her photography business. — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026

The park will also be home to the city’s softball fields and pony and colt league fields, bringing them together in one place, Long said in the video. — Yvette Orozco, Houston Chronicle, 16 Oct. 2026

For Kotzmacher, the recognition acknowledges sacrifices that extend beyond the softball field. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Yuridia Ortiz, the youngest at age 10, started a new softball season, with her dad noticeably missing from the stands. — Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for softball

• aldol
• armhole
• atoll
• awol
• backhaul
• banal
• baseball
• befall
• cabal
• catchall
• cecal
• centrale

Kids Definition

softball

noun

soft·​ball ˈsȯf(t)-ˌbȯl 

: baseball played on a small diamond with a ball that is larger than a baseball and that is pitched underhand

also : the ball used in this game