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.
But the decision is not simple and should not be taken lightly, and the assistance you get while making it might steer you in the wrong direction.
From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026
That, to put it lightly, is not what many of these students have seen, and they reasonably do not appear to think that will come to pass.
From Slate • May 20, 2026
Crush the corn chips lightly with your hands and stir them into the pot.
From Salon • May 19, 2026
He did not take the decision at all lightly, one friend said.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
I’d lightly patted my bushy curls and frowned.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
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.
