softy

noun

ˈsȯf-tē How to pronounce softy (audio)
variants or softie
Definition of softynext
as in weakling
a person lacking in physical strength a softy who usually needs someone else's strong hands to open bottles and jars

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for softy
  1. weakling
  2. wimp
  3. wuss
Noun
  • Much like the Iranians, Europeans and Brazilians, the Canadians don’t intend to be weaklings or pushovers.
    — Daniel DePetris, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • But with the Rockies looking a bit feisty (not to be mistaken with competent), what happens if the Giants can’t beat up on the division weaklings this year?
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
Definition of weakling
Noun
  • An early prototype for several of the titles on this list, this adaptation of Sumika Yamamoto’s manga of the same name is one of anime’s ultimate, early wimp-to-whiz sports journeys.
    — Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
  • His rage stands as a measure of machismo, as if civility is for wimps.
    — Robin Givhan, Vanity Fair, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of wimp
Noun
  • Supporters of the Republican candidate, state Attorney General Ken Paxton, portray Democrats as wusses, cucks, soy boys who don’t follow sports.
    — Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 5 June 2026
  • Henry is a megalomaniac and a complete wuss.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
Definition of wuss
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.

Browse Nearby Words

softwares
softy
sogginess
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Softy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/softy. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

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

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

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 2

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All