variants or soft-serve
: a smooth semisolid ice cream that contains less milk fat than regular ice cream and is made in and dispensed from a freezer in which it is aerated and continuously churned
—often used before another noun
soft-serve ice cream
a soft-serve machine

Examples of soft serve in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The kiosk will serve a New Zealand-style ice cream that involves blending a scoop of ice cream or frozen yogurt with a scoop of fresh fruit with a special machine into a soft serve treat. — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2026 The guest of honor will also get an on-the-house coconut-and-strawberry soft serve — with sprinkles, of course. — Lisa Shames, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026 Maple apple crunch at Little Rey Vanilla soft serve is topped with a warm compote of roasted apples and a graham cracker crumble with a drizzle of maple cinnamon. — Angela Hansberger, AJC.com, 9 Oct. 2026 More recently, Costco debuted a seasonal strawberry shortcake sundae featuring vanilla or strawberry soft serve, shortcake bites and strawberry topping. — Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 21 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for soft serve

Word History

First Known Use

1955, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of soft serve was in 1955

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Soft serve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soft%20serve. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Kids Definition

soft-serve

noun
ˈsȯf(t)-ˌsərv
: smooth soft ice cream made in and dispensed from a freezer in which it is continuously churned
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster