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.
Before the game, Palmer said tat he tells his players to never take an opponent too lightly nor build it up too much.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
The Israeli military said that three police officers were lightly injured and a security forces vehicle was damaged.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
During the marathon, he has been eating lightly and drinking fluids while taking the permitted five minutes of rest for every continuous hour of activity.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
That last one, rendered as a cute and huggable mascot from beyond, is a surreal manifestation of a departed husband in the lightly endearing “Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
Molly turned and kissed her cheek lightly, unsettled by how cold she still was.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
