morbido

Morbido is an Italian adjective meaning soft, tender, or gentle. It can describe physical textures and materials, such as bread, fabric, or cheese, as well as non-physical qualities like a voice, a mood, or a surface.

The term derives from Latin mollis and entered Italian through the evolution of the Romance languages. In Italian, the base form is morbido, with feminine morbida and masculine plural morbidi and feminine plural morbide.

In grammar, morbido agrees with the noun it modifies in gender and number. It contrasts with duro (hard) or rigido (rigid). The noun morbidezza expresses the quality of softness or tenderness.

Common uses include pane morbido (soft bread), formaggio morbido (soft cheese), carne morbida (tender meat), tessuti morbidi (soft fabrics), and descriptions of surfaces or sensations that feel gentle to the touch. In figurative language, morbido can describe a mild or comforting affect in tone, style, or art.

See also: morbidezza; antonyms include duro and rigido; translations include soft.