: 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 lightly—
Shelly Halpern
Shelly Halpern
c
: with little difficulty : easily
d
: gaily, cheerfully
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
Their November and December fixtures look tricky, to put it lightly, with a three-game run against Liverpool, Manchester City (both away) and Newcastle United enough to put them off their Advent chocolates.
—Jessica Hopkins, New York Times, 18 June 2025
Whisk in flour; cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is lightly browned, about 1 minute.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 15 June 2025
Kim did not take the accident lightly, going as far as to call it a criminal act, according to KCNA.
—Nick Butler, FOXNews.com, 15 June 2025
According to the Israeli emergency service Magen David Adom, five individuals were treated for injuries in the Dan region—one in moderate condition and four lightly injured by shrapnel.
—Jesus Mesa
amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for lightly
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Jessica Hopkins, New York Times, 18 June 2025
Whisk in flour; cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is lightly browned, about 1 minute.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 15 June 2025
Kim did not take the accident lightly, going as far as to call it a criminal act, according to KCNA.
—Nick Butler, FOXNews.com, 15 June 2025
According to the Israeli emergency service Magen David Adom, five individuals were treated for injuries in the Dan region—one in moderate condition and four lightly injured by shrapnel.
—Jesus Mesa
amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for lightly
Cite this Entry
“Lightly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lightly. Accessed 28 Jun. 2025.
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