lightweight

[ lahyt-weyt ]

/ ˈlaɪtˌweɪt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR lightweight ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

being lighter in weight, texture, etc., than another item or object of identical use, quality, or function: a lightweight topcoat; a lightweight alloy for ship construction.

without seriousness of purpose; trivial or trifling: lightweight reading.

of or relating to a lightweight: He's the new lightweight contender.

(of a horse, especially a hunter) able to carry up to 165 pounds (75 kg).

noun

a person of less than average weight.

Informal. a person who is of little influence, importance, or effect.

a boxer or other contestant intermediate in weight between a featherweight and a welterweight, especially a professional boxer weighing between 126 and 135 pounds (56.7–61 kg).

Nearby words

Origin of lightweight

First recorded in 1765–75; light² + weight

Related formsul·tra·light·weight, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for lightweight

Gates paints Reid as a lightweight more interested in Nevada issues than the defense of the nation.
Reid: Gates ‘Unethically’ Gossiped and Published Memoir to ‘Make Money’|John L. Smith|January 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He might have been considered a lightweight, but even if he didn't ask the tough questions, everybody watched him.
The Deaths You Missed This Year|Malcolm Jones, Jimmy So, Michael Moynihan, Caitlin Dickson|December 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Without Diesel, this sequel seems like a lightweight, but brought on the much welcomed team of Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris.
Best Paul Walker Performances: Ranking the ‘Fast and Furious’ Franchise|Jimmy So|December 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Dogs wearing tailored coats in solid colors were joined by others in lightweight capes.
FIT Hosts BARK-à-Porter: Art Deco-Themed Pet Fashion Show|Claire Stern|May 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST

To be fair, none of these titles count as lightweight, beach-reading diversions.
Obama’s Revealing Book Bag|Michael Medved|August 23, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Light as a lightweight acrobat Ahmet Ali had rolled aside, put palm to ground, sprung to his feet.
The Wind Bloweth|Brian Oswald Donn-Byrne
Mr. Gilroy arranged the party so that one lightweight member was in each canoe with one of the heavier girls, and one of the boys.
Girl Scouts in the Adirondacks|Lillian Elizabeth Roy
He was a football player and a lightweight boxer of no mean ability.
The Rope of Gold|Roy J. Snell
Ekstrohm picked up a lightweight no-back from the ship's library, a book by Bloch, the famous twentieth-century expert on sex.
The Planet with No Nightmare|Jim Harmon
Whereupon he informed me he was a lightweight champion boxer, and if I did not there would be bloodshed, and he came towards me.
From Crow-Scaring to Westminster; an Autobiography|George Edwards M.P., O.B.E.

British Dictionary definitions for lightweight

lightweight

/ (ˈlaɪtˌweɪt) /

adjective

of a relatively light weight

not serious; trivial

noun

a person or animal of a relatively light weight

a professional boxer weighing 130–135 pounds (59–61 kg)
an amateur boxer weighing 57–60 kg (126–132 pounds)
(as modifier)the lightweight contender

a wrestler in a similar weight category (usually 115–126 pounds (52–57 kg))

informal a person of little importance or influence

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for lightweight

lightweight

adj.

also light-weight, 1773 in horse-racing, also in pugilism; from light (adj.1) + weight. Figurative sense of "inconsequential" first attested 1809.

lightweight

adjective

noun

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Nearby words

Origin of lightweight

Examples from the Web for lightweight

lightweight

adjective

noun

lightweight