softly

[ sawft-lee, soft‐ ]
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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.

  1. 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.

  2. in a gentle, warm-hearted, or compassionate manner; tenderly; sympathetically: She softly embraced her son and reassured him of her love.

Origin of softly

1
First recorded in 1200–50; soft + -ly

Words Nearby softly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use softly in a sentence