'soft-bodied' originates from the combination of 'soft' and 'body', where 'soft' meant 'yielding readily to touch or pressure' and 'body' referred to 'the physical structure of a person or an organism'.

'soft-bodied' changed from the Old English word 'sōfte' and 'bodig', eventually becoming the modern English word 'soft-bodied'.

Initially, it meant 'having a soft physical structure', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.