soft-spoken

[ sawft-spoh-kuhn, soft- ]

adjective

1. (of persons) speaking with a soft or gentle voice; mild.
2. (of words) softly or mildly spoken; persuasive.

soft-spoken

adjective

1. speaking or said with a soft gentle voice
2. able to persuade or impress by glibness of tongue

Word History and Origins

Origin of soft-spoken¹

First recorded in 1600–10

Example Sentences

He’s like Clark Kent with peach fuzz: tall, slender, soft-spoken, favoring khakis and long-sleeved shirts and more earnest than a Peace Corps volunteer.

From Los Angeles Times

One can hear the wonder still evident in his voice when he recalls the improbable trajectory of the soft-spoken grade-school dropout who left this place behind and became a baseball icon.

From Los Angeles Times

“When he died, I had the rug pulled out from under me,” she says in a soft-spoken tone as she gently molds a ball holder for an incense stick.

From Los Angeles Times

This series, soft-spoken veteran Chris Taylor told his teammates in a hitter’s meeting before Game 1 on Saturday, would be all about intensity.

From Los Angeles Times

In person, he’s tall and commanding, still with the muscular frame of a young athlete, but also the soft-spoken baritone of someone who’s worked out a lot of complicated feelings in his songwriting.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• gentle
• reserved