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

For several agonizing minutes, they sit together saying nothing, as Black Sabbath’s mystical ballad “Solitude” plays softly on the stereo.

From Los Angeles Times

Together, the crowd exhaled three long, loud sighs, then tapped their chests in unison, repeating softly: “This is my heart. This is my heart. This is my heart.”

From Los Angeles Times

A movie played softly in the background, something neither of us was really watching.

From Los Angeles Times

We say that the kind of stimulation that activates involuntary attention has to be what we call “softly fascinating.”

From Los Angeles Times

His voice shook, and he spoke very softly.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• delicately 
• faintly www.thesaurus.com
• gently 
• gingerly 
• quietly 
• smoothly www.thesaurus.com
• tenderly