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

Dartmoor wild campers are being urged to "tread lightly and leave no trace", by the park authority after the ruling.

From BBC

Just tread lightly if you’re feeding a crowd—spice tolerance can vary wildly.

From Salon

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

They warned each other that he could be argumentative and to tread lightly around him.

From Los Angeles Times

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