noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ˈsɒf.ɪt/
Canada, US:/ˈsɑ.fɪt/
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɒfɪt
CMU ARPABET:S AO1 F IH0 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The visible underside of an arch, balcony, beam, cornice, staircase, vault or any other architectural element.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: architecture
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The top point of the inside open section of a pipe or box conduit.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: pipe technology
Examples
The elevation of the pipe soffit is 10.4 meters above mean sea level.
The vents on the bottom of the soffit should be open, and the vents on the side of the soffit should be closed.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
the underside of a part of a building (such as an arch or overhang or beam etc.)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: side
History
Etymology
From French soffite, from Italian soffitto, from Vulgar Latin *suffīctus, perfect passive participle of Latin suffīgō (“to fasten or fix onto”).
Across languages
Translations
17 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
սոֆիտ
(sofit)
— the visible underside of an arch, balcony, beam, cornice, staircase, vault or any other architectural element
Bulgarian:
софит
(sofit)
— the visible underside of an arch, balcony, beam, cornice, staircase, vault or any other architectural element
Czech:
podhled
— the visible underside of an arch, balcony, beam, cornice, staircase, vault or any other architectural element
Finnish:
kamana
— the visible underside of an arch, balcony, beam, cornice, staircase, vault or any other architectural element
Finnish:
alapinta
— the visible underside of an arch, balcony, beam, cornice, staircase, vault or any other architectural element
French:
soffite
— the visible underside of an arch, balcony, beam, cornice, staircase, vault or any other architectural element
German:
Soffitte
— the visible underside of an arch, balcony, beam, cornice, staircase, vault or any other architectural element
Greek:
υπερώο
(yperóo)
— the visible underside of an arch, balcony, beam, cornice, staircase, vault or any other architectural element
Italian:
soffitto
— the visible underside of an arch, balcony, beam, cornice, staircase, vault or any other architectural element
Māori:
ikuiku
— the visible underside of an arch, balcony, beam, cornice, staircase, vault or any other architectural element
Māori:
hikuhiku
— the visible underside of an arch, balcony, beam, cornice, staircase, vault or any other architectural element
Norman:
chître
— the visible underside of an arch, balcony, beam, cornice, staircase, vault or any other architectural element
Polish:
podbicie
— the visible underside of an arch, balcony, beam, cornice, staircase, vault or any other architectural element
Portuguese:
sofito
— the visible underside of an arch, balcony, beam, cornice, staircase, vault or any other architectural element
Portuguese:
intradorso
— the visible underside of an arch, balcony, beam, cornice, staircase, vault or any other architectural element
Russian:
софи́т
(sofít)
— the visible underside of an arch, balcony, beam, cornice, staircase, vault or any other architectural element
Spanish:
sofito
— the visible underside of an arch, balcony, beam, cornice, staircase, vault or any other architectural element
