Quietly
What it means
In a low-noise, calm, discreet, or unobtrusive manner.
Reach for it when describing gentle action that does not demand attention
She quietly replaced the empty water pitcher before the meeting began.
Words to choose between 6
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| warm |
|
| professional | |
| formal |
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everyday
Fits when emotional steadiness matters more than sound
Careful A calm person can speak loudly.
-
everyday
Fits when careful force or manner protects someone
Careful Gentleness can still be audible and visible.
-
warm
softly
Fits when low volume or gentle touch is central
Careful Softly does not imply discretion.
-
professional
Fits when privacy and tact guide the action
Careful Discretion may involve concealment rather than calm.
-
formal
silently
Fits when no sound is made at all
Careful Silently is stronger than quietly and can feel secretive.
-
formal
unobtrusively
Fits when the action avoids drawing notice
Careful Unobtrusively is cumbersome in personal writing.
Opposites 3
- loudly
- ostentatiously
- disruptively
Common phrases 3
-
speak quietly
The nurse chose to speak quietly beside the sleeping patient.
-
work quietly
Volunteers work quietly while the morning service is underway.
-
quietly confident
She remained quietly confident while others debated the forecast.
Word family 2
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Dvortygirl, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated