lightly

adverb

light·​ly ˈlīt-lē 

: 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

c

: with little difficulty : easily

d

: gaily, cheerfully

e

: in an agile manner : nimbly, swiftly

the cat leapt lightly onto the table

f

: in a small degree or amount

lightly salted food

Synonyms of lightly

• easily
• smoothly
• effortlessly
• easy
• freely
• efficiently
• readily

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 fish is Alaskan cod, lightly fried and served in strips with cocktail and tartar sauce on the side. —Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026

In their own interviews, her castmates range from apathetic to lightly judgmental. —Judy Berman, Time, 18 Feb. 2026

But while the heart of the reality competition was finding beautiful contestants who could serve H2T (head to toe) and deliver the best shots week after week, many of the challenges designed to push them have — to put it lightly — not aged well. —James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Feb. 2026

However, when contemplating the share of houses not occupied by their owners, investors dominate some of California’s most lightly populated counties. —Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 17 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing lightly

• take lightly
• tread lightly

Rhymes for lightly

• brightly
• knightly
• nightly
• rightly
• sightly
• slightly
• sprightly
• tightly
• whitely
• forthrightly
• fortnightly
• politely