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

His air of louche mischief attended his farces about Dada and James Joyce and moral determinism, his cleverness worn as lightly as a scarf. —Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2025

This lightly padded sports bra from Adidas’ All Me line is the best of both worlds thanks to its longer length and buttery soft material. —Michelle Baricevic, Travel + Leisure, 30 Nov. 2025

Fry until lightly golden, about 3 minutes per side. —Ann Taylor Pittman, Southern Living, 30 Nov. 2025

This year’s Tigers may not be the same star vehicle as that roster of six years ago, but Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables is by no means taking the task lightly. —Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025

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