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

Haiti maybe an underdog, but Ancelotti and Brazilian defender Gabriel are not taking the game lightly. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 19 June 2026

With her fingers, Guadalupe Espinoza lightly traced the lettering engraved on a slanted monument wedged alongside the courtyard at the LA Plaza de Culturas y Artes. —Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026

Still, designing a front porch is not a task to take lightly. —Perri Ormont Blumberg, Architectural Digest, 19 June 2026

The most effective marketers are beginning to operate the same way, holding assumptions lightly, testing deliberately, updating continuously. —Stefan Pollack, Forbes.com, 18 June 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