softly

adverb

Definition of softlynext
1
as in quietly

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in lightly

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of softly Her eyes were softly defined with blended brown tones that could easily work just as well as a daytime look. — Marci Robin, Allure, 3 Nov. 2026 Sharp had worked in public relations and was also a gifted ceramics artist who created minimalistic vases and softly sloping bowls. — Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2026 Now your parent or your friend or your lover could be a thousand miles away yet softly in your ear. — Cal Revely-Calder, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026 For the Love Story star, whose transformation into Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy has made her something of a beauty muse in her own right, that increasingly means a softly blurred lip. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2026 The man is speaking softly, as if aware that, given the way the wind is today, voices could carry over the water. — Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026 With a softly rounded outline and romantic facets, the cut evokes the era of craftsmanship that determined a diamond’s brilliance. — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026 With one leg, take a step backward, landing softly on the ball of your foot. — Sarah Stiefvater, Flow Space, 23 Oct. 2026 The Tesla soon launched itself from its position beneath the ramp's nearly horizontal ledge, executed a barrel roll in midair, and landed softly, all thanks to its SpaceX cold-gas thrusters. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for softly
  1. quietly
  2. lightly
  3. faintly
  4. gently
  5. feebly
  6. tenderly
  7. noiselessly
Adverb
  • Riley’s name has been quietly popping up in Heisman Trophy conversations in recent weeks as the 5-foot-10 running back has led the nation in rushing yards for much of the season.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Hart saw the Orlando icon in her own restaurant recently and was quietly grateful.
    — Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of quietly
Adverb
  • Stuffed with beef and lightly seasoned, this Middle Eastern pastry had the perfect crunch and savoriness.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Twenty-five classic games from that EA era have been lightly remastered and updated, then placed for sale on Steam and GOG, including several Wing Commander games and nearly the entire Ultima series.
    — Samuel Axon, ArsTechnica, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of lightly
Adverb
  • Rounding out the shoe is an outsole in black and a faintly blue translucent rubber.
    — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The vast, faintly industrial open warehouse incorporates concrete and wood surfaces, and glass walls frame views of the al fresco crowd in the courtyard.
    — Jaclyn DeGiorgio, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of faintly
Adverb
  • This is the best time to remove dead blooms and gently shape the shrub by trimming its branches.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 8 Nov. 2026
  • As chlorophyll fades and the brilliant hues of sugar maples, ginkgoes, oaks and more illuminate the horizon, fall gently seduces us into thinking all is beautiful and peaceful.
    — Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of gently
Adverb
  • On the floor beside him, the dog was feebly pursuing some quarry in a dream.
    — Téa Obreht, New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2026
  • By the time Robyn joins the conversation, her bestie is on the ropes, feebly trying to insist that the entire matter is a misunderstanding.
    — Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of feebly
Adverb
  • Within this supreme divine presence, each child, and every parent, as the spiritual expression of God, is tenderly fathered and mothered.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Sofia Coppola spoke tenderly about her late mother and their family’s film legacy at a BFI London Film Festival session on Thursday afternoon.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of tenderly
Adverb
  • Small branches can be clipped quickly and almost noiselessly and fashioned into an effective blind in only a few minutes.
    — Bruce Brady, Outdoor Life, 8 Apr. 2026
  • On a brilliant midsummer morning, my wife and I stepped into a black Zodiac raft and drifted noiselessly among icebergs five stories high, their emerald and aquamarine walls gleaming above sapphire waters.
    — Pico Iyer, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Apr. 2025
Definition of noiselessly

Browse Nearby Words

softies
softly
softness
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Cite this Entry

“Softly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/softly. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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