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Vinony

softly softly

adverb

No English definition recorded for this entry.

L199771 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

adj

Etymology: Reduplication of softly. Likely an allusion to softly, softly, catchee monkey or a similar phrase.

  1. Discreet, 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.”

adv

Etymology: Reduplication of softly. Likely an allusion to softly, softly, catchee monkey or a similar phrase.

  1. In 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.”