softball
softball Lexical Profile
softball Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A modified form of baseball played on a smaller diamond with a larger ball that is pitched underhand.
"Our company organizes a recreational softball league every summer in the local park."
The hard, leather-covered ball, measuring 11 to 12 inches in circumference, used in the game of softball.
"She caught the brightly colored softball cleanly in her leather mitt."
North American An easy, sympathetic, or unchallenging question or task, especially in a political or media interview.
"The moderator started the debate by tossing a softball to each candidate to help them relax."
• adjective
North American Designating a question, interview, or task that is deliberately easy, gentle, or unchallenging.
"Critics complained that the journalist asked only softball questions during the televised interview."
• verb
North American To ask easy or unchallenging questions of someone, or to treat someone or a topic leniently.
"The host was accused of softballing the guest instead of pressing him on the controversy."
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in American English in 1926 by Walter Hakanson of the YMCA as a standardized name for the game previously known as indoor baseball, kitten ball, or mush ball.