Soulfully

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /ˈsoʊlfəli/

Definitions

1. In a manner characterized by profound emotional depth and sensitivity
2. Performed or expressed with intense feeling and heartfelt emotion
3. Conveying strong emotions that come from deep within the spirit

Etymology: "Soulfully" is a plain derivation: the adjective "soulful" with the adverb-forming suffix "-ly" added. The suffix has a long ancestry, traceable back through Proto-Germanic "*-līkaz," whose root meaning is "body" or "form," later shaped into a word for "like" or "resembling." Old English "-līċe" made adverbs from adjectives in this way, and it gradually softened into the Middle English "-ly" that English speakers use today. The base word, "soulful," is the other half of the story. It is formed from "soul" plus the adjective-forming "-ful," meaning "full of," so "soulful" literally means "full of soul," and "soulfully" describes doing something in that manner: with deep feeling, the sense the word carries now.

Synonyms: deeply, emotionally, profoundly, passionately, spiritually

Antonyms: shallowly, superficially, lightly, carelessly, indifferently