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.
“Your mom and I would come up here and see the whole world in front of us,” Dad says softly to me.
From Literature
He sang softly into the microphone, his arms crossed across his chest and eyes closed during most of it.
From Los Angeles Times
The tall, softly spoken 31-year-old Ukrainian Navy diver is part of a team of 20 tasked with de-mining the parts of the Black Sea still under Ukraine's control.
From BBC
She spoke softly, running her hand along a unicorn’s neck.
From Literature
After several moments, I softly set my hand upon his knee.
From Literature
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.
