softly
178
1.0
- adverb
- /ˈsɔftli/
:
en voz baja
- As the sun set, the music played softly while we enjoyed the view.
- speak softly
- play softly
- sing softly
She said it fast but softly, tone composed.
- She said it fast but softly, tone composed.
- Do not go, you know, softly into that good night.
- They always kind of speak kind of slowly and softly and deliberately like this.
- Abraham says softly to himself, Lord God in heaven, I thank you.
- And they may speak more softly and wear clothes made of hemp and sandals.
- Oh, my goodness, Oh my goodness, she says softly.
- I talk really slowly and softly and it's kind of just a strange, strange video.
Examples
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A child reads a story into the laptop's microphone as music plays softly in the background.
Academic text (2006) -
Speak softly, wake her not.
-
Do not go, you know, softly into that good night.
-
Killing me softly with his song.
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President, speak softly and carry a big stick.
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Tell them to play so softly that no one else can hear it.
Academic text (1996) -
As you go, walk softly...
-
"Not much longer, little doggy," he was saying softly while he knocked on the door.
Fiction book (1990) -
"Have a drink, son," Emil said softly, offering his friend a glass of the now precious brandy.
Fiction book (1990) -
She started crying softly, like the rain on the window, and we didn't say anything.
Synonyms
517
1.0
In a quiet way that makes little or no noise
372
1.0
To do something with little force to avoid hurting or making noise
4
2.8
In music, played very quietly so the sound is almost not heard
To play or sing very softly
In music, softly so notes sound quiet
In a soft, quiet voice so only a few people hear
To say something in a very quiet voice so other people cannot hear
Played or sung very softly in music
Antonyms
Compounds
How Quietly
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
The word softly comes from the old English word soft, meaning 'gentle' or 'not hard', and the ending -ly makes it tell us how something is done. So softly means 'in a gentle or quiet way', which is why we use it for a low voice or soft music.