levity

noun

ˈle-və-tē How to pronounce levity (audio)
Definition of levitynext
as in lightness
a lack of seriousness often at an improper time the teachers disapprove of any displays of levity during school assemblies

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of levity One of his many achievements is that Max made an uncomfortable subject more visible—through levity, through gravity, and through beauty. — Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2026 Other prominent figures have been received with levity when their stories have unravelled in public. — Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2026 Yet the filmmakers infuse it with levity, showing his love and affinity for animals, as well ashis musical talents. — Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026 One-on-one conversations require skills such as managing topics, asking thoughtful questions, celebrating moments of levity, responding constructively to disagreement, and striking a balance between self-disclosure and supportive listening. — Alison Wood Brooks, Harvard Business Review, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for levity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for levity
  1. lightness
  2. cheerfulness
  3. glee
  4. silliness
  5. frivolity
  6. flippancy
Noun
  • Gloria somehow held the urgency of it all without ever losing her lightness.
    — Emma Watson, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Yamaha Unlike the R15's Deltabox frame, Yamaha's gone with a steel tube diamond frame that promises lightness and flexibility.
    — Yamaha, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of lightness
Noun
  • The service Professionalism comes with genuine warmth, cheerfulness, and a sense of people absolutely loving their jobs.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Kikuko sometimes mistook Shigejiro’s cheerfulness for egoism owing to the distortions produced by her illness.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of cheerfulness
Noun
  • The next day, JT showed a snippet of his viral cameo that had everyone and their mother throwing up their phones in glee.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Other, less cartoonish responses have lingered on Cambridge’s comparable glee in brandishing Arday in the first place.
    — Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of glee
Noun
  • Fans enjoy her silliness and willingness to discuss important issues.
    — Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Some of the mayhem devolves into silliness, including a foot chase through Red Square (doubled by Budapest’s Heroes’ Square abetted with digital effects) and a vehicular chase in which Nick and Troy drive a nuclear missile launcher.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of silliness
Noun
  • There is much fun and frivolity at the Witch and Culture Festival, but the event also acknowledges some distressing real-life history that goes along with being (or being suspected of being) a witch in Connecticut.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Photographer Phil Oh captures the drama and frivolity in Paris as designers present their latest couture collections.
    — Phil Oh, Vogue, 7 July 2026
Definition of frivolity
Noun
  • Or how being late or canceling at the last minute is treated with less flippancy than in America.
    — Catherine Heald, Travel + Leisure, 22 June 2026
  • Spaar’s colloquial flippancies only reinforces her fervency.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 May 2026
Definition of flippancy

Browse Nearby Words

levitations
levity
levy
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Cite this Entry

“Levity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/levity. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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