A.soft:
I. of things subject to touch, “εὐνή” Il.9. 618; “κώεα” Od.3.38; “τάπης μαλακοῦ ἐρίοιο” 4.124; “χιτών” Il.2.42, PSI 4.364.5 (iii B.C.); “πέπλοι” Il.24.796; νειὸς μ. fresh-ploughed fallow, 18.541; λειμῶνες μ. soft grassy meadows, Od.5.72, cf. Il.14.349; “πόας ἄνθος” Sapph.54; “τάπητες . . -ώτεροι ὕπνω” Theoc.15.125; of the skin or flesh, “μ. παρειαί” S.Ant.783 (lyr.); “χρώς” E.Med.1403 (anap.); “σώματα” X.Mem.3.10.1; πρόβατα μ. soft-fleeced, D.47.52; τόποι πεδινοὶ καὶ μ., opp. hard, rugged ground, Arist.HA607a10; οἱ κρημνοὶ οἱ μ. ib.615b31; “μ. πέτρα” SIG970.8 (iii B.C.), PPetr.2p.6 (iii B.C.); μ. τέφρα a slow fire, Ph.Bel.89.36; so “μ. πῦρ” Androm. ap. Gal.13.26; “μ. ἀνθρακιά” Dsc.2.76; ὕδωρ μ., of marsh water, A.Fr.192.8 (anap.), Pl.Ti.59d (cf. μαλθακός); of soil, X.Oec.19.8, Pl.Criti.111b. Adv., μαλακῶς ἐνεύδειν, εὑδέμεναι, to sleep softly, i.e. on soft bedding, Od. 3.350, 24.255; “μαλακώτατα καθεύδειν” X.Mem.2.1.24; καθίζου μ. sit softly, i.e. on a cushion, Ar.Eq.785; “ὑποστορεῖτε μ. τῷ κυνί” Eub.90, cf. 108; but ὡς μ. ἐσθίεις what dainty food you have! Thphr.Char.2.10.
II. of things not subject to touch, gentle, “θάνατος” Od. 18.202; “ὕπνος” Il.10.2; “κῶμα” 14.359; μ. ἔπεα soft, fair words, 1.582, 6.337; “λόγοι” Od.1.56; “ἐπαοιδαί” Pi.P.3.51; “παρηγορίαι” A.Ag.95 (anap.); “αὖραι” X.Oec.20.18; μ. βλέμμα tender, youthful looks, Ar. Pl.1022; “μαλακὰ φρονέων ἐσλοῖς” Pi.N.4.95; μ. οἶνος mild, Arist.Pr. 873b34; μ. [φωνή] soft, Id.Aud.803a8 (Comp.); of scent, faint, delicate, Thphr.HP6.7.4; of climate, mild, ib.6.8.1. Adv. “μαλακῶς, αὐλεῖν” Arist.Aud.803a20; “ἐὰν τὰ σκληρὰ μ. λέγηται” Id.Rh.1408b9.
III. of persons or modes of life, soft, mild, gentle, μαλακώτερος ἀμφαφάασθαι easier to handle, of a fallen hero, Il.22.373; “ἐκ τῶν μ. χώρων μ. ἄνδρας γίνεσθαι” Hdt.9.122; -“ώτερον ἐκ σκληροτέρου τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ἦθος” Pl.Lg.666b; “ἀρνίου -ώτερος” Philippid.29; -“ώτερον τὸ ἦθος τὸ τῶν θηλειῶν” Arist.HA 608a25; “ἀρρένων καὶ μ. ἠθῶν καὶ πράξεων” Phld.Mus.p.92 K.
2. in bad sense, soft, “μ. ἐν τῇ ξυναγωγῇ τοῦ πολέμου” Th.2.18; “μ. ἦν περὶ τοῦ μισθοῦ” Id.8.29; “πρὸς τὸ πονεῖν” X.Mem.1.2.2. Adv. -“κῶς, ξυμμαχεῖν” Th.6.78; -ωτέρως ἀνθήπτετο attacked him somewhat feebly, Id.8.50; “μ. φιλεῖν” X.Mem.3.11.10.
b. faint-hearted, cowardly, Th.6.13, X. HG4.5.16 (Comp.), etc.
c. morally weak, lacking in self-control, Hdt.7.153 (Comp.); “ἀντίκειται τῷ μ. ὁ καρτερικός” Arist.EN1150a33: c. inf., “μαλακὸς καρτερεῖν πρὸς ἡδονάς τε καὶ λύπας” Pl.R.556c; “τὸ τρυφῶν καὶ μ.” Ar.V.1455 (lyr.); μ. οὐδὲν ἐνδιδόναι not to give in from weakness or want of spirit, Hdt.3.51,105, Ar.Pl.488; τὰ μ. indulgences, Epich.288, cf. X.Cyr.7.2.28.
e. of music, soft, effeminate, “μ. ἁρμονίαι” Pl.R.398e, 411a, cf. Arist.Pol.1290a28; tuned to a low pitch, opp. “σύντονος, χρῶμα μ.” Cleonid.Harm.7, etc.
g. of reasoning, weak, loose, “λόγος” Isoc.12.4 (Comp.), cf. 5.149 (Comp.); “λόγος λίαν μ.” Arist.Metaph.1090b8. Adv. -κῶς, συλλογίζεσθαι to reason loosely, Id.Rh.1396b1 (Comp.); “ἀποδεικνύειν -ώτερον” Id.Metaph.1025b13.
3. weakly, sickly, -κῶς ἔχειν to be ill, Hermipp.58, Ps.-Hdt. Vit.Hom.34, Luc.DDeor.9.1; -“κῶς διάκειται” PCair.Zen.263.3 (iii B.C.).
IV. Adv. -κῶς, v. supr. I, II, III.