| adv. | 1. | In a soft manner. |
| Adv. | 1. | softly - with low volume; "speak softly but carry a big stick"; "she spoke quietly to the child"; "the radio was playing softly" Synonyms: quietly |
| 2. | softly - in a manner that is pleasing to the senses; "she smiled softly" | |
| 3. | softly - with little weight or force; "she kissed him lightly on the forehead" | |
| 4. | softly - used as a direction in music; to be played relatively softly Synonyms: piano |