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

Their kindness and concern for her, their hospitality so lightly given, starts to reflect back on Elif. — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026

Here is a snapshot of our conversation, lightly edited for length and clarity. — Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026

Add the chicken and brown the first side for a few minutes, then turn and lightly brown the other side for another few minutes. — ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026

While JPMorgan faces a vast and onerous regulatory burden—a legacy of all the financial crises caused by bank failures—BlackRock is still relatively lightly regulated. — Robin Wigglesworth, Fortune, 29 Sep. 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