speak softly
Use hushed tones
To speak softly is to talk in a quiet, gentle voice—not whispering, but keeping volume low.
The phrase often implies a calm or nonthreatening manner: She spoke softly to the frightened child.
The proverb speak softly and carry a big stick suggests that quiet confidence backed by real power is more effective than bluster.
- whisperSpeech without full voice
- murmurSoft, indistinct continuous sound
- hushed tonesSoft, subdued speech
- hushAbsence of sound
- gentleSoft and kind
quiet · inside voice · library voice · intimate · tender · breathe · sigh · lullaby · pillow · pillow talk · sweet nothings · bedside · secrets · lips · ear · close · soothe · calm
- calmingcalm, calm down, soothe, relax, pacify
- Patriotic Phrasesland of the free, home of the brave, stars and stripes, red white and blue, united we stand
- Political Quotesall men are created equal, Gettysburg Address, Declaration of Independence, Emancipation Proclamation, nothing to fear