lightly
Americanadverb
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with little weight, force, intensity, etc.; gently.
to press lightly on a door bell.
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to only a small amount or degree; slightly.
lightly fried eggs.
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to leap lightly aside.
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with a lack of concern; indifferently; slightly.
to think lightly of one's achievements.
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cheerfully; without complaining.
to take bad news lightly.
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without due consideration or reason (often used negatively).
an offer not to be refused lightly.
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without trouble or effort; easily.
Lightly come, lightly go.
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frivolously; flippantly.
to behave lightly.
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airily; buoyantly.
flags floating lightly.
Etymology
Origin of lightly
First recorded before 900; Middle English lightli, Old English lēohtlīce; see light 2, -ly
Vocabulary lists containing lightly
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The leak was a "serious matter that must not be taken lightly", Presidential Chief of Staff Lim Kwang-hyun told an emergency meeting on the breach, according to Lee's office.
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026
My first instinct was to go the baked-macaroni-and-cheese route: lightly toast some panko, scatter it over the cabbage, then return the whole thing to the oven.
From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026
He could determine a man’s profession from the wear pattern on his trousers, from whether he was lightly or deeply tanned, or from which parts of his hands were callused.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
She took care of him through the whole illness, which I don’t take lightly.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026
She sits looking out to the sea and strums the oud lightly as if it were fragile.
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
