softly

American

[sawft-lee, soft‐] / sɔft li, sɒft‐ /

adverb

in a low pitch or volume; quietly.

We spoke softly so as not to wake the baby.
Jazz was playing softly in the background.
Music. with a smoothly subdued and gentle sound.

In this passage, the horns exit softly as the violins become more vibrant.
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.
in a gentle, warm-hearted, or compassionate manner; tenderly; sympathetically.

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

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Pope Leo's interactions with journalists are gentle and softly spoken, and his words always appear thought out and deliberate.

From BBC

“My ex is your friend,” I said softly.

From Los Angeles Times

We watched silently and then he said, softly, “It’s a privilege to be here in the age of Ohtani.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The record played softly in the space and a few people sat on the couches, with their eyes closed.

From Los Angeles Times

Echoes of her personal catastrophes and softly spoken, reserved tenderness jump from the page.

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023