softly

[ sawft-lee, soft‐ ]

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of softly¹

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

Example Sentences

By 2011, Danlan had become so popular that Ma could no longer keep his identity a secret, which the softly spoken 43-year-old now calls “a blessing in disguise.”

From Time

This is because data protection agencies have mostly taken a softly-softly approach to bringing sites into compliance.

From TechCrunch

Movie theaters have been closed or, when softly reopened in pre-vaccine times, reserved exclusively for crazy people comfortable sitting in an enclosed space with strangers eating popcorn.

From The Daily Beast

Although the man was paralyzed from the neck down, he imagined writing letters softly with his hand.

From Science News

It then turned itself sideways in a “belly flop” maneuver and headed back to Earth before righting itself, reigniting its engines and touching down softly.

From Washington Post

His peers remember him as a bright man who spoke softly and occasionally came across as a bit shy.

From The Daily Beast

He played it through once, singing the lyrics softly to his own guitar accompaniment.

From The Daily Beast

“J.W. heard Hayden say softly, ‘You smell good,’” the papers report.

From The Daily Beast

He seemed to be here, there, everywhere, sitting under a tree softly strumming his guitar.

From The Daily Beast

Kimberlin, who looks and softly speaks like a miniaturized clone of David Strathairn, could not lay a glove on his tormenter.

From The Daily Beast

The two were standing together before the fire; Bernard watched Mrs. Vivian close the door softly behind her.

From Project Gutenberg

The next instant the door closed softly behind them, and she went out of his life as a wife forever.

From Project Gutenberg

Then the roof itself, with its gables and dormer windows, softly folded itself flat down upon the top of the house, out of sight.

From Project Gutenberg

She glanced up at him softly, under long lashes,—a thrilling glance; but he missed its radiance, for his own eyes were far away.

From Project Gutenberg

They were standing over the cots in the nursery late at night, and I think that Mamma was crying softly.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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