Lax vs. Soft — What's the Difference?

Not sufficiently strict, severe, or careful

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

(of the limbs or muscles) relaxed

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

Lacrosse

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

Lacking in rigor, strictness, or firmness.

(of a drink) not alcoholic.

Not taut, firm, or compact; slack.

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

Loose and not easily retained or controlled. Used of bowel movements.

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

(Linguistics) Pronounced with the muscles of the tongue and jaw relatively relaxed, as the vowel (ĕ) in let.

Foolish; silly

A salmon.

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

Lacrosse.

In a quiet or gentle way

Lenient and allowing for deviation; not strict.

In a weak or foolish way

Loose; not tight or taut.

Yielding readily to pressure or weight

Lacking care; neglectful, negligent.

Easily molded, cut, or worked

(mathematics) Describing an associative monoidal functor.

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

(archaic) Having a looseness of the bowels; diarrheal.

Out of condition; flabby

Not tense, firm, or rigid; loose; slack; as, a lax bandage; lax fiber.

Smooth or fine to the touch

Not strict or stringent; not exact; loose; weak; vague; equivocal.

Not loud, harsh, or irritating

Having a looseness of the bowels; diarrheal.

Not brilliant or glaring; subdued

A looseness; diarrhea.

Not sharply drawn or delineated

Lacking in rigor or strictness;

Mild; balmy

Pronounced with muscles relatively relaxed (e.g., the vowel sound in `bet')

Tender or affectionate

Not taut or rigid; not stretched or held tight;

Attracted or emotionally involved

Lacking in strength or firmness or resilience;

Not stern; lenient

Tolerant or lenient;

Lacking strength of character; weak

Emptying easily or excessively;

(Informal) Simple-minded or foolish

Not demanding or difficult; easy

Based on conciliation or compromise

Gradually declining in trend; not firm

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

Informal and entertaining without confronting difficult issues or hard facts

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

Softcore.

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

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

Having low dissolved mineral content

Nonalcoholic.

Nonaddictive or mildly addictive. Used of certain drugs.

Having a low or lower power of penetration

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

Voiced and weakly articulated

Palatalized, as certain consonants in Slavic languages.

Unprotected against or vulnerable to attack

In a soft manner; gently.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Effeminate; not courageous or manly, weak.

Gentle in action or motion; easy.

Weak in character; impressible.

Somewhat weak in intellect.

Quiet; undisturbed; paceful; as, soft slumbers.

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

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

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.

A soft or foolish person; an idiot.

Softly; without roughness or harshness; gently; quietly.

Be quiet; hold; stop; not so fast.

Lacking in hardness relatively or comparatively

Metaphorically soft;

Of sound; relatively low in volume;

Easily hurt;

Used chiefly as a direction or description in music;

Used of beverages; not containing alcohol;

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

Tolerant or lenient;

Having little impact;

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

In a relaxed manner; or without hardship;