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tread lightly

American  
[tred lahyt-lee] / ˈtrɛd ˈlaɪt li /
Also tread carefully

idiom

  1. 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

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.