lightly

adverb

light·​ly ˈlīt-lē How to pronounce lightly (audio)
: in a light manner: such as
a
: with little weight or force : gently
b
: with indifference or carelessness : unconcernedly
the problem should not be passed over lightlyShelly Halpern
c
: with little difficulty : easily
e
: in an agile manner : nimbly, swiftly
the cat leapt lightly onto the table
f
: in a small degree or amount
lightly salted food

Examples of lightly in a Sentence

He talks lightly about the problems he's been having at work. She moved lightly across the room. These vegetables can be eaten either raw or lightly cooked. Our troops were armed too lightly to take on the heavily armed invaders. Considering the harm he did, he's gotten off lightly with only a warning. The judge let her off lightly with a short sentence.
Recent Examples on the Web The interview, lightly edited for clarity, is below. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2024 Place the asparagus on a lightly greased baking sheet. Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2024 Kimmel returned to emcee the event for the fourth year, lightly roasting the nominees in the front rows of the audience before ending his monologue to note the resilience of actors and writers who marched the picket lines during last year’s dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024 Packed isn’t a word used lightly to describe the event, a shoulder-to-shoulder situation that implied the party was the place to be. Jamila Stewart, Vogue, 9 Mar. 2024 Place under the broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese and lightly brown. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 8 Mar. 2024 The interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity. Yara Enany, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 Calabash-style seafood is lightly breaded right off the boat, and there are plenty of restaurants featuring the local fare. Tracey Minkin, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2024 The following excerpts from that interview have been lightly edited for length and clarity. Amazon Ads, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lightly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lightly was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near lightly

Cite this Entry

“Lightly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lightly. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

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