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.
Her daughter said softly: “You guys weren’t worried about her before, so leave her alone now.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026
Romvari weeps as she spreads them out on a table, saying “hi” softly to her brothers.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026
“All the sweets and all the terrors of human lot lay in his mind,” Emerson writes, “as truly but as softly as the landscape lies on the eye.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026
The commander - who is white haired and softly spoken - belongs to a small dissident group called Komala of the Toilers of Kurdistan.
From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026
I left the bedroom and softly closed the door behind me.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
Definitions 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.
