Meanings
nounsoft pedal (plural soft pedals)
plural soft pedals
- alsoattributiveentertainmentThe leftmost foot-pedal on most pianos which, when pushed, dampens the strings and so softens the note played.
Synonyms: una corda pedal
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe leftmost foot-pedal on most pianos which, when pushed, dampens the strings and so softens the note played.
Similar
Origin
From soft (“of sound: quiet”) + pedal.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 弱音踏板, 柔音踏板
- 弱音踏板 (ruòyīn tàbǎn)leftmost foot-pedal on most pianos which softens the note played
- 柔音踏板 (róuyīn tàbǎn)leftmost foot-pedal on most pianos which softens the note played
Finnish hiljennyspedaali
- hiljennyspedaalileftmost foot-pedal on most pianos which softens the note played
French pédale douce
- pédale douceleftmost foot-pedal on most pianos which softens the note played
Welsh pedal chwith
- pedal chwithleftmost foot-pedal on most pianos which softens the note played
Cite this entry
APA
soft pedal. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/soft%20pedal
MLA
“soft pedal.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/soft%20pedal. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “soft pedal,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/soft%20pedal.
Source: soft pedal on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.