: 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
The documents that Dooley was now handling were barely yellowed, their edges lightly frayed, the oak gall ink ranging from brown to black.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
Pavitt describes the mild AHA as non-drying and effective at working on the skin’s surface to lightly buff away dead skin cells.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 28 Jan. 2026
Seeds that require light to germinate are scattered on top of the growth medium or lightly pressed into it, but not covered.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Jan. 2026
Their responses were limited to 100 words per question and were lightly edited.
—Alec Johnson, jsonline.com, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lightly
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Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
Pavitt describes the mild AHA as non-drying and effective at working on the skin’s surface to lightly buff away dead skin cells.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 28 Jan. 2026
Seeds that require light to germinate are scattered on top of the growth medium or lightly pressed into it, but not covered.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Jan. 2026
Their responses were limited to 100 words per question and were lightly edited.
—Alec Johnson, jsonline.com, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lightly
Cite this Entry
“Lightly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lightly. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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