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tread lightly

American

[tred lahyt-lee] / ˈtrɛd ˈlaɪt li /

Also tread carefully

idiom

to act or speak with care and tactfulness in order to avoid words or behavior that could be offensive or upsetting to others.

There are certain issues we have to tread lightly on if we have any hope of helping these kids.

Etymology

Origin of tread lightly

First recorded in 1990–95

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.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s two living children are urging people to tread lightly with a newly released trove of records related to their father’s assassination.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 22, 2025

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my career, it’s that you should tread lightly when speaking critically of James Cameron’s passion project, the “Avatar” series.

From Salon • Jan. 3, 2025

Speaking at the summit, Sir Keir said the new UK target would be "difficult" but "achievable", and he wanted government to "tread lightly on people's lives".

From BBC • Nov. 12, 2024

This idea that we tread lightly on the Earth, only taking what we need and never more, is something that Indigenous people grow up learning.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 23, 2023

Only two days ago, she would have left it at that, respecting their unspoken agreement to tread lightly in each other’s pasts.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023