softly

American  

[sawft-lee, soft‐] / sɔft li, sɒft‐ /

adverb

1. in a low pitch or volume; quietly.

   We spoke softly so as not to wake the baby.

   Jazz was playing softly in the background.

2. Music. with a smoothly subdued and gentle sound.

   In this passage, the horns exit softly as the violins become more vibrant.

3. in a way that is neither harsh nor glaring to the eye.

   The room was softly lit with a dimmed chandelier and six flickering candles.

4. in a gentle, warm-hearted, or compassionate manner; tenderly; sympathetically.

   She softly embraced her son and reassured him of her love.

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Etymology

Origin of softly

First recorded in 1200–50; soft ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

softly

Sam Altman acknowledged on a podcast this week that “we’ve all been too ambitious on the timelines,” but he was able to talk softly about how that was a good thing.

From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2026

In cavernous, tomblike galleries, exquisite statuettes are softly spot-lit on stone shelves without labels, while images of deities painted by Rivera flitted across the ceiling above.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

In late July, the Duchess of Sussex's lifestyle range, called As ever, launched a "rich, vibrant" blackberry spread alongside a softly lit video of her picking the fruit.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

Thus, he enjoyed great success with films like 1934’s “Modern Times,” which softly transitioned into the new era by preserving much of silent filmmaking’s expressiveness while incorporating synchronized audio.

From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2026

I spoke to him softly as I emptied them, promising I would look after his daughter.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

Related Words

• delicately
• faintly
• gently
• gingerly
• quietly
• smoothly
• tenderly