Definition of LIGHTLY

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

In front of the window that was broken by the fire, red marks lightly dot the back of some of the legs on the Pondts' dining chairs. — Stephanie Elam, CNN, "From a mass shooting to a major wildfire, two California firefighters recount a harrowing 24 hours," 14 June 2019 Cook for 60 to 75 seconds, until the bottom is lightly golden. — Bonnie S. Benwick, Twin Cities, "For a dose of comfort, make these classic cheese blintzes," 13 June 2019 Picture the expressions of U.S. Soccer Federation officials every time Alex Morgan went lightly skipping down the pitch and scored another goal in the Americans’ opening match of the women’s World Cup. — Sally Jenkins, Houston Chronicle, "U.S. women’s soccer team is an American treasure. Pay them.," 12 June 2019 But even that wears Kuma’s vision—a future in which structures are built for multiple uses over their lifetime and sit lightly on the landscape. — Neil Shea, National Geographic, "Tokyo became a megacity by reinventing itself," 12 June 2019 In the pan, lightly sauté chiles in the vegetable oil until slightly caramelized. Soak the peppers in 1 cup water until soft (about 30 minutes). — San Diego Union-Tribune, "3 chefs share recipes inspired by their cooking dads," 11 June 2019 Because Justify trampled on the Curse of Apollo, which said no horse could win the Kentucky Derby without running as a 2-year-old, he’ll be talked about as the flag bearer for a new generation of lightly raced Triple Crown contenders. — Childs Walker, baltimoresun.com, "Justify expected to continue racing after Triple Crown triumph," 10 June 2018 He is lightly raced, bred for the distance and in expert hands. — Joe Drape, New York Times, "Belmont Stakes 2018: Latest Odds, Picks and Contenders," 8 June 2018 Justify is the undefeated and lightly-raced (three starts) morning line favorite. — Bob "railbird" Roberts, cleveland.com, "Kentucky Derby 2018: Newspaper handicappers know the drill," 4 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lightly.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.