lighthearted
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of lighthearted
1375–1425; late Middle English ligt-herted; see light 2, heart, -ed 3
Explanation
Someone who tends to be happy and upbeat is lighthearted. When you are shopping for greeting cards, the lighthearted ones are the ones with the corny jokes, not the ones with pictures of dramatic sunsets. Words like joyful, blithe, and happy-go-lucky capture the sense of lighthearted. People can be lighthearted, and so can entertaining things, like lighthearted movies, your uncle's lighthearted teasing, or a lighthearted family sing-along. The "full of cheer" meaning of lighthearted dates from about 1400, from both senses of light: "bright" and "not heavy."
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.
“Ms. Atkinson’s lighthearted novel,” Sam Sacks writes, “mines delicious humor from this mismatch of grizzled cynicism and national heritage.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
“I’ve Been Loving You Too Long”? “Hard to Handle,” it’s cheeky, it’s lighthearted.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
He then offered a lighthearted alternative: “Maybe they could do a henna one, and then commit to make it permanent if we hire them.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
That lighthearted attitude is what endeared Wallace to Randolph before the teen even joined the team.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
He laughed a little, but the laughter was not lighthearted.
From "The Giver" by Lois Lowry
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.
