ENGLISH
REFERENCE

sweetly

adv. manner
B1 Intermediate US //ˈswitɫi// UK //swˈiːtli// sweet·ly

adv. in a pleasant, kind, or gentle way. You use this to describe sounds, smells, or the way someone behaves.

adv. in a pleasant or agreeable manner; characterized by a gentle or kind quality. Often describes auditory or olfactory sensations, or interpersonal behavior.


SIMPLE

The little girl smiled sweetly at her grandmother.

CONTEXTUAL

The birds sang sweetly in the garden as the sun began to rise over the hills.

COMPLEX

She spoke so sweetly that it was difficult to remain angry with her, even though her arguments were logically flawed.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English swetly, swetely, sweteliche, from Old English swētlīċe (“sweetly; pleasantly”), equivalent to sweet + -ly. Cognate with Old High German swuozlīhho (“sweetly”), Icelandic sætlega (“sweetly; with gratitude”), German süßlich (“sweetish; sugary”), Dutch zoetelijk (“sentimental”).

Usage

Typically follows the verb it modifies or the direct object.

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