Meanings
alternative softly-softly · alternative softly, softly
- UKnot comparableoften hyphenatedDiscreet, low-key, careful.
Second, this lack of divergence is also the outcome of the EU's softly-softly approach to human rights and democracy in Morocco.
2003, Annette Jünemann, Euro-Mediterranean relations after September 11, →ISBNSynonyms: diplomatic, understated
alternative softly-softly · alternative softly, softly
- UKnot comparableIn a very tactful, careful, or nondisruptive manner.
We couldn't get him back into training before Christmas time because he picked up an injury at the Cheltenham Festival last year and we had to go softly softly.
2006 April 28, “Royal heads Betfred field”, in RTE Sport, Ireland, retrieved 22 Jun 2009Synonyms: gingerly
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveDiscreet, low-key, careful.
adverbIn a very tactful, careful, or nondisruptive manner.
Origin
Reduplication of softly. Likely an allusion to softly, softly, catchee monkey or a similar phrase.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish pehmo-, hyvin varovainen
- pehmo-discreet, careful
- hyvin varovainendiscreet, careful
- hyvin varovastiin a very tactful, careful manner
Spanish muy suavemente
- muy suavementein a very tactful, careful manner
Swedish varsam, försiktig
- varsamdiscreet, careful
- försiktigdiscreet, careful
- mjukdiscreet, careful
- varsamtin a very tactful, careful manner
- försiktigtin a very tactful, careful manner
Cite this entry
softly softly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/softly%20softly
“softly softly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/softly%20softly. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “softly softly,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/softly%20softly.
Source: softly softly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.