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.
Lightly used Preludes provided the canvas upon which a generation of street-performance masterpieces were painted just before being confiscated.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026
Reportedly produced in factories last month, the 4-ounce packages of both Planters Honey Roasted Peanuts and 8.75-ounce Planters Deluxe Lightly Salted Mixed Nuts have been recalled.
From Salon • May 8, 2024
Lightly spraying ash with water will help keep it from becoming airborne.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 22, 2024
Lightly drape a piece of plastic wrap over the box to help contain moisture, but don’t seal it tightly.
From Washington Times • Dec. 5, 2023
Lightly, easily, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world, she stretched up her right arm and wrenched off one of the cross-bars of the lamp-post.
From "The Magician's Nephew" by C. S. Lewis
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.
