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Softly; without roughness or harshness; gently; quietly. Chaucer. A knight soft riding toward them. Spenser.

Speaking softly; having a mild or gentle voice; hence, mild; affable.

In a still manner; quietly; silently; softly. Dr. H. More. The hum of either army stilly sounds. Shak.

To paint, as in water colors, by small, short touches which together produce an even or softly graded surface.

In a supple manner; softly; pliantly; mildly. Cotgrave.

Yoked in, or as in, a team. [Obs.] Let their teamed fishes softly swim. Spenser.

In a tender manner; with tenderness; mildly; gently; softly; in a manner not to injure or give pain; with pity or affection; kindly. Chaucer.

o run in drops. His salt tears trickled down as rain. Chaucer. Fast beside there trickled softly down A gentle stream. Spenser.

istons, and which can slide from note to note as smoothly as the human voice or a violin. Softly blown, it has a rich and mellow sound, which becomes harsh and blatant when the tones are forced; used with discretion, its effect is often solemn and majestic.

entence, having had one's sentence pronounced. -- Under the breath, with low voice; very softly. -- Under the lee (Naut.), to the leeward; as, under the lee of the land. -- Under the rose. See under Rose, n. -- Under water, below the surface of the water. -- Under way, or Under weigh (Naut.), in a condition to mak…

Not softly. [Obs.] Great climbers fall unsoft. Spenser.

rth; to flow; to spring. "[Blood] welled from out the wound." Dryden. "[Yon spring] wells softly forth." Bryant. From his two springs in Gojam's sunny realm, Pure welling out, he through the lucid lake Of fair Dambea rolls his infant streams. Thomson.

To speak softly, or under the breath, so as to be heard only by one near at hand; to utter words without sonant breath; to talk without that vibration in the larynx which gives sonorous, or vocal, sound. See Whisper, n.

s further bank Ætolia's wolds espied. Byron. The wind that beats the mountain, blows More softly round the open wold. Tennyson.