SOFT-CORE Synonyms: 59 Similar and Opposite Words

soft-core

adjective

Definition of soft-core

as in hard-core

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of soft-core The selection will open with a pre-festival screening of Tinto Brass’ soft-core thriller Col Cuore in Gola (Deadly Sweet) (1967). — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 3 July 2026 All as much fans of soft-core nineties femme fatale films as experimental cinema. — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026 For individuals, soft-core KPIs might include the employee’s personal brand reputation, visibility on professional platforms or involvement in external community projects. — Filomena Di Luise, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025 The film felt like a dispatch from a cinematic world that no longer existed — streamed quietly into a culture now fluent in soft-core stylization but less interested in its emotional stakes. — arkansasonline.com, 10 July 2025 This is the character most relatable to the man who founded a media company whose sole purpose was to manipulate women into taking their tops off and engage in soft-core pornography on camera and cut them out of the earnings. — Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 7 Dec. 2024 Ranking Coppola’s 23 features — his 1962 soft-core Tonight for Sure is not included, nor is his misbegotten New York Stories short feature or the Disney attraction Captain EO — was a difficult proposition. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2024 The agencies that dole out state money to public charger companies — the California Energy Commission and the California Public Utilities Commission — have taken a soft-core approach to holding the companies responsible. — Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2024 Their intercourse isn’t soft-core like Bound but features Marian’s shy, sly, self-consciousness. — Armond White, National Review, 31 July 2024

Recent Examples of Synonyms for soft-core

Adjective

The loudest hard-core German music can reach 107dB when measured with a decibel meter, which is incredibly loud (ear-damagingly so).

— Florence Ion, PC Magazine, 19 Aug. 2026
After reports of a lousy atmosphere during Argentina’s narrow victory over Egypt, in the round of sixteen, there were rumors that hundreds of hard-core supporters had been flown to Atlanta, to pep things up in the stadium.

— Sam Knight, New Yorker, 20 July 2026

Definition of hard-core

Adjective

The resident is Eugene Horsch, 44, who previously lived there with his late father, pornographic filmmaker and photographer Raymond Horsch.

— Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026
Parents of students at Sunset Park Elementary School are stunned following the arrest of a former teacher accused of inappropriately touching students and displaying pornographic images.

— Anna McAllister, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of pornographic

Adjective

The atmosphere is humid—not just sensual but erotic—and Stein is often close enough to touch.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026
Minotaur is adapted from Claude Chabrol’s 1969 film The Unfaithful Wife, itself previously the source material for Adrian Lyne’s erotic thriller Unfaithful.

— David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of erotic

Adjective

The diabolical is ambiguous and often frankly sexy; the ridiculous is not.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
The interiors, food, and soundtrack of Punjabi hits all come together seamlessly to create a sexy vibe—the only problem is finding a way to get past the thousands of people on the waitlist to experience it for yourself.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of sexy

Adjective

Her sixth album, Estrus, out today, represents a more mature inflection of honesty from the sad-girl-pop pioneer.

— Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 18 Sep. 2026
Pulling clean, structured data from a single page is mature technology, yet accurate extraction on complex, real-world documents is genuinely hard.

— Alberto Gimeno, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of mature

Adjective

The content of its productions has included legitimate theater, vaudeville, burlesque, striptease, movies (many X-rated), classical music and jazz as well as occasional forays into boxing, bodybuilding and politics.

— Dan Kelly, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2025
For the first seven years of the rating system (1969-1975), nearly half of the top films (33 of 70) were R- or X-rated.

— Tom Brueggemann, IndieWire, 26 July 2024

Definition of X-rated

Browse Nearby Words

soft-boiled

soft-core

softcover

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Soft-core.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-core. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of soft-core

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

elegiac

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes