Weak vs. Soft — What's the Difference?

Lacking the power to perform physically demanding tasks; having little physical strength or energy

Easy to mould, cut, compress, or fold; not hard or firm to the touch

Liable to break or give way under pressure; easily damaged

Having a pleasing quality involving a subtle effect or contrast rather than sharp definition

Lacking intensity or brightness

Sympathetic, lenient, or compassionate, especially to a degree perceived as excessive; not strict or sufficiently strict

Denoting a class of verbs in Germanic languages that form the past tense and past participle by addition of a suffix (in English, typically -ed).

(of a drink) not alcoholic.

Relating to or denoting the weakest of the known kinds of force between particles, which acts only at distances less than about 10⁻¹⁵ cm, is very much weaker than the electromagnetic and the strong interactions, and conserves neither strangeness, parity, nor isospin.

(of a market, currency, or commodity) falling or likely to fall in value

Lacking physical strength, energy, or vigor; feeble.

(of water) containing relatively low concentrations of dissolved calcium and magnesium salts and therefore lathering easily with soap

Likely to fail under pressure, stress, or strain; lacking resistance

Foolish; silly

Lacking firmness of character or strength of will

(of a consonant) pronounced as a fricative (as c in ice).

Lacking intensity or strength; faint

In a quiet or gentle way

Lacking the proper strength or amount of ingredients

In a weak or foolish way

Having low prices or few transactions

Yielding readily to pressure or weight

Lacking the ability to function normally or fully

Easily molded, cut, or worked

Unable to digest food easily; readily nauseated

(Sports) Not tense and therefore capable of absorbing the impact of a ball or puck and of catching, receiving, or controlling it

Lacking or resulting from a lack of intelligence

Out of condition; flabby

Lacking aptitude or skill

Smooth or fine to the touch

Lacking persuasiveness; unconvincing

Not loud, harsh, or irritating

Lacking authority or the power to govern

Not brilliant or glaring; subdued

Of, relating to, or being those verbs in Germanic languages that form a past tense and past participle by means of a dental suffix, as start, started; have, had; bring, brought.

Not sharply drawn or delineated

Of, relating to, or being the inflection of nouns or adjectives in Germanic languages with a declensional suffix that historically contained an n.

Mild; balmy

Unstressed or unaccented in pronunciation or poetic meter. Used of a word or syllable.

Tender or affectionate

Designating a verse ending in which the metrical stress falls on a word or syllable that is unstressed in normal speech, such as a preposition.

Attracted or emotionally involved

Lacking in force (usually strength) or ability.

Not stern; lenient

Unable to sustain a great weight, pressure, or strain.

Lacking strength of character; weak

Unable to withstand temptation, urgency, persuasion, etc.; easily impressed, moved, or overcome; accessible; vulnerable.

(Informal) Simple-minded or foolish

Dilute, lacking in taste or potency.

Not demanding or difficult; easy

(grammar) Displaying a particular kind of inflection, including:

Based on conciliation or compromise

Regular in inflection, lacking vowel changes and having a past tense with -d- or -t-.

Gradually declining in trend; not firm

Showing less distinct grammatical endings.

(Sports) Scored on a shot that the goalie should have blocked

Definite in meaning, often used with a definite article or similar word.

Informal and entertaining without confronting difficult issues or hard facts

(chemistry) That does not ionize completely into anions and cations in a solution.

Using or based on data that is not readily quantifiable or amenable to experimental verification or refutation

(physics) One of the four fundamental forces associated with nuclear decay.

Softcore.

(slang) Bad or uncool.

Being a turn in a specific direction at an angle less acute than other possible routes

Having a narrow range of logical consequences; narrowly applicable. (Often contrasted with a strong statement which implies it.)

Of or relating to a paper currency as distinct from a hard currency backed by gold.

Resulting from, or indicating, lack of judgment, discernment, or firmness; unwise; hence, foolish.

Having low dissolved mineral content

Not having power to convince; not supported by force of reason or truth; unsustained.

Nonalcoholic.

Lacking in vigour or expression.

Nonaddictive or mildly addictive. Used of certain drugs.

Not prevalent or effective, or not felt to be prevalent; not potent; feeble.

Having a low or lower power of penetration

(stock exchange) Tending towards lower prices.

Sibilant rather than guttural, as c in certain and g in gem.

(photography) Lacking contrast.

Voiced and weakly articulated

Wanting physical strength.

Palatalized, as certain consonants in Slavic languages.

Deficient in strength of body; feeble; infirm; sickly; debilitated; enfeebled; exhausted.

Unprotected against or vulnerable to attack

Not possessing or manifesting intellectual, logical, moral, or political strength, vigor, etc.

In a soft manner; gently.

Not able to sustain a great weight, pressure, or strain; as, a weak timber; a weak rope.

Easily yielding to pressure; easily impressed, molded, or cut; not firm in resisting; impressible; yielding; also, malleable; - opposed to hard; as, a soft bed; a soft peach; soft earth; soft wood or metal.

Feeble of mind; wanting discernment; lacking vigor; spiritless; as, a weak king or magistrate.

Not rough, rugged, or harsh to the touch; smooth; delicate; fine; as, soft silk; a soft skin.

Pertaining to, or designating, a verb which forms its preterit (imperfect) and past participle by adding to the present the suffix -ed, -d, or the variant form -t; as in the verbs abash, abashed; abate, abated; deny, denied; feel, felt. See Strong, 19 (a).

Hence, agreeable to feel, taste, or inhale; not irritating to the tissues; as, a soft liniment; soft wines.

Not firmly united or adhesive; easily broken or separated into pieces; not compact; as, a weak ship.

Not harsh or offensive to the sight; not glaring; pleasing to the eye; not exciting by intensity of color or violent contrast; as, soft hues or tints.

Resulting from, or indicating, lack of judgment, discernment, or firmness; unwise; hence, foolish.

Not harsh or rough in sound; gentle and pleasing to the ear; flowing; as, soft whispers of music.

Tending toward a lower price or lower prices; as, wheat is weak; a weak market.

Easily yielding; susceptible to influence; flexible; gentle; kind.

Not stiff; pliant; frail; soft; as, the weak stalk of a plant.

Expressing gentleness, tenderness, or the like; mild; conciliatory; courteous; kind; as, soft eyes.

Not having full confidence or conviction; not decided or confirmed; vacillating; wavering.

Effeminate; not courageous or manly, weak.

Lacking in good cards; deficient as to number or strength; as, a hand weak in trumps.

Gentle in action or motion; easy.

Not able to resist external force or onset; easily subdued or overcome; as, a weak barrier; as, a weak fortress.

Weak in character; impressible.

Not able to withstand temptation, urgency, persuasion, etc.; easily impressed, moved, or overcome; accessible; vulnerable; as, weak resolutions; weak virtue.

Somewhat weak in intellect.

Lacking contrast; as, a weak negative.

Quiet; undisturbed; paceful; as, soft slumbers.

Lacking force of utterance or sound; not sonorous; low; small; feeble; faint.

Having, or consisting of, a gentle curve or curves; not angular or abrupt; as, soft outlines.

Wanting in power to influence or bind; as, weak ties; a weak sense of honor of duty.

Not tinged with mineral salts; adapted to decompose soap; as, soft water is the best for washing.

Not thoroughly or abundantly impregnated with the usual or required ingredients, or with stimulating and nourishing substances; of less than the usual strength; as, weak tea, broth, or liquor; a weak decoction or solution; a weak dose of medicine.

Applied to a palatal, a sibilant, or a dental consonant (as g in gem, c in cent, etc.) as distinguished from a guttural mute (as g in go, c in cone, etc.); - opposed to hard.

Not having power to convince; not supported by force of reason or truth; unsustained; as, a weak argument or case.

A soft or foolish person; an idiot.

Lacking ability for an appropriate function or office; as, weak eyes; a weak stomach; a weak magistrate; a weak regiment, or army.

Softly; without roughness or harshness; gently; quietly.

Wanting in point or vigor of expression; as, a weak sentence; a weak style.

Be quiet; hold; stop; not so fast.

Not prevalent or effective, or not felt to be prevalent; not potent; feeble.

Lacking in hardness relatively or comparatively

Lacking in elements of political strength; not wielding or having authority or energy; deficient in the resources that are essential to a ruler or nation; as, a weak monarch; a weak government or state.

Metaphorically soft;

Tending towards lower prices; as, a weak market.

Of sound; relatively low in volume;

To make or become weak; to weaken.

Easily hurt;

Having little physical or spiritual strength;

Used chiefly as a direction or description in music;

Overly diluted; thin and insipid;

Used of beverages; not containing alcohol;

Lacking power

Of speech sounds; characterized by a hissing or hushing sound (as `s' and `sh')

Used of vowels or syllables; pronounced with little or no stress;

Tolerant or lenient;

Having the attributes of man as opposed to e.g. divine beings;

Having little impact;

Lacking force; feeble;

Not burdensome or demanding; borne or done easily and without hardship;

Lacking physical strength or vitality;

In a relaxed manner; or without hardship;

Used of verbs having standard (or regular) inflection

Lacking physical strength or vigor

Characterized by excessive softness or self-indulgence;