softhearted

adjective

soft·​heart·​ed ˈsȯf(t)-ˌhär-təd How to pronounce softhearted (audio)
Synonyms of softheartednext
: emotionally responsive : sympathetic
softheartedly adverb
softheartedness noun

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of softhearted in a Sentence

He looks tough, but he's really very softhearted. She's too softhearted to fire anyone.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Katzenberg bought a script called 3,000, a dark story about a softhearted prostitute and a heartless businessman. — Jeanie Kasindorf, Vulture, 10 July 2024 Becker shows that proponents of Brexit talked surprisingly little about the past and tried, in fact, to hang nostalgia’s toxic millstone around the necks of Remainers, accusing them of a softhearted attachment to the now sclerotic dream of European unity. — Thomas Mallon, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1586, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of softhearted was circa 1586

Rhymes for softhearted

See All Rhymes for softhearted

Browse Nearby Words

softheaded
softhearted
soft hog
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Softhearted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/softhearted. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

softhearted

adjective
soft·​heart·​ed ˈsȯft-ˈhärt-əd How to pronounce softhearted (audio)
: merciful, sympathetic
softheartedly adverb
softheartedness noun
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

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

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

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
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 Word Game 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?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
burrowing owl athene cunicularia tilts its head outside its burrow on marco island florida
Guess the Curious Origins of These Everyday Words Oh, that’s where that comes from…
See All