weak; bearish
Used in financial markets to describe a weak or declining trend. Antonym: 堅調 (firm/strong).
Antonyms: 堅調 (けんちょう)
Today's stock market showed a weak trend.
The bearish market continues.
noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', na-adjective, noun
soft; low-contrast
Used in photography to describe a soft tone or focus, often with a gentle, low-contrast look. Antonym: 硬調 (hard/high-contrast).
Antonyms: 硬調
This lens is characterized by soft rendering.
I want to finish it as a soft-focus photograph.
firm; bullish · strong; steady; sound
Compound of 軟 (soft, weak) and 調 (tone, condition). The financial sense is a calque from English 'soft market', while the photographic sense directly describes soft tonal quality.