softly softly
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See also: softly, softly and softly-softly
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
Reduplication of softly. Likely an allusion to softly, softly, catchee monkey or a similar phrase.[1]
Pronunciation
Audio (General Australian): (file)
Adjective
softly softly (not comparable)
- (UK, often hyphenated) Discreet, low-key, careful.
- 2003, Annette Jünemann, Euro-Mediterranean relations after September 11, →ISBN:
- Second, this lack of divergence is also the outcome of the EU's softly-softly approach to human rights and democracy in Morocco.
Synonyms
Translations
discreet, careful
Adverb
softly softly (not comparable)
- (UK) In a very tactful, careful, or nondisruptive manner.
- 2006 April 28, “Royal heads Betfred field”, in RTE Sport, Ireland, retrieved 22 June 2009:
- 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.
Synonyms
Translations
in a very tactful, careful manner
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References
- ^ “softly, adv.”, in OED Online
, Oxford: Oxford University Press, December 2016.
- “softly softly”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.