softly
Americanadverb
-
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.
Etymology
Origin of softly
First recorded in 1200–50; soft ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"It was very difficult," says their father, Bajash Ali Sagir Hassan, a softly spoken shepherd.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
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
It can occasionally feel as if Refn is playing a game with you, softly whispering if you’re still there.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026
It’s in the way the steering hydraulics softly attenuate kickback at full lock.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
I knock softly and poke my head through the cracked door.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
