softly

softly — adverb

1. Done or said with little noise, pressure, or force — often when trying not to di

1.adverbB1
Definition

Done or said with little noise, pressure, or force — often when trying not to disturb others or when acting with care and kindness.

Example

Mert softly touched the cat's ears, not wanting to wake it.

softly + touch (physical gentleness)

'Keep your voice down,' Eve said softly, glancing at the sleeping child.

Common collocations
  • speak softly
  • say something softly
  • touch someone softly
  • land softly
  • fall softly
Synonyms
  • gently

    more general; can describe both force and emotional tone, while 'softly' emphasises lack of noise or pressure

  • quietly

    focuses on low volume; does not carry the same sense of physical gentleness

  • lightly

    emphasises minimal weight or force; used more for physical contact than for speech

Antonyms
  • loudly

    opposite in volume and force

  • harshly

    opposite in manner and quality of contact

Usage Note

Commonly pairs with verbs of speaking (said, whispered, spoke) and gentle physical actions (touched, closed, placed).

Common Mistakes

She softlyly walked into the room.
She softly walked into the room.
'softly' already ends in -ly; do not add an extra -ly suffix.
He played the music soft.
He played the music softly.
When modifying a verb, use the adverb 'softly,' not the adjective 'soft.'

2. Used for describing light, colour, shape, or texture that is pleasing and gentle

2.adverbB2
Definition

Used for describing light, colour, shape, or texture that is pleasing and gentle rather than bright, harsh, or sharp.

Example

The room was lit softly by candles on the wooden shelf.

softly + lit (gentle light description)

Anong traced the softly rounded edges of the stone with her thumb.

softly + rounded (shape description)

Common collocations
  • lit softly
  • softly rounded
  • softly lit
  • fade softly
  • fall softly (of landscape)
Synonyms
  • gently

    can describe sensory gentleness too, but 'softly' is more specific to light, colour, and texture

  • smoothly

    focuses on evenness of surface rather than overall sensory gentleness

  • subtly

    emphasises understated quality; 'softly' is more about comfort to the senses than about being hard to notice

Antonyms
  • brightly

    opposite for light and colour; harshly bright rather than gentle

  • sharply

    opposite for shapes; angular and pointed rather than rounded

softly — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All four words describe actions done with little force or noise, but they differ in emphasis. 'Softly' is the broadest — it can describe both the volume of a voice and the pressure of a touch ('she spoke softly,' 'he landed softly'). 'Gently' leans more toward the manner of the action, often with care and tenderness ('she gently washed the wound'); it is less about volume. 'Quietly' focuses almost entirely on low or absent sound ('they sat quietly'), with no implication of physical gentleness. 'Lightly' stresses minimal weight or force ('he tapped lightly on the door'), but does not carry the warmth that 'softly' or 'gently' do. 'Tenderly' adds an emotional layer of affection and warmth ('he held her hand tenderly'), making it narrower and more intimate. For describing a calm, unhurried action with both low volume and low pressure, 'softly' is the most natural all-around choice.

gently ↗quietly ↗lightly ↗tenderly

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • very softly
  • quite softly
  • so softly

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Derived from the Old English word 'sōfte' (meaning gentle, mild, or comfortable), which came from Proto-Germanic '*samftijaz'. The '-ly' suffix was added in Middle English to form the adverb. The adjective use ('a softly voice') appeared in some regional and literary varieties of English, though the standard adjective remains 'soft'.