as in abandon
carefree freedom from constraint
he approaches his medical duties with a lightheartedness that some patients find disturbing
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Recent Examples of lightheartedness
Hundreds of fans commented on social media, either expressing concern or responding with lightheartedness.
—
Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025
On the plus side, the young acting talent and a welcome lightheartedness will keep the eye-rolling to a minimum.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
Using a similar method as the one scientists follow to determine the animals responsible for fossilized footprints — but with a dose of lightheartedness — Granatosky and his colleagues carried out the first scientific analysis of the imprint, published Tuesday in the journal Biology Letters.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
Quick-witted, effortlessly funny, DePaul brought a lightheartedness to the table during a particularly dark point in the story.
—Dana Reboe, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2025
Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025
On the plus side, the young acting talent and a welcome lightheartedness will keep the eye-rolling to a minimum.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
Using a similar method as the one scientists follow to determine the animals responsible for fossilized footprints — but with a dose of lightheartedness — Granatosky and his colleagues carried out the first scientific analysis of the imprint, published Tuesday in the journal Biology Letters.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
Quick-witted, effortlessly funny, DePaul brought a lightheartedness to the table during a particularly dark point in the story.
—Dana Reboe, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lightheartedness
Noun
-
Since the mid-1990s, one government after another added to Tokyo’s debt load with abandon.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
The relatives ate with a mixture of businesslike efficiency and gleeful abandon.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The Windsor family often shares moments during this time of year that reflect their warmth and naturalness.—
María Munsuri,
Glamour,
25 Dec. 2025
-
Frogposting, then, pits the intractably byzantine, soulless and cutthroat nature of the contemporary economy in a simple binary against what the posters envision as the green, healthy, naturalness of the Earth—framed as a joke, the base unit of online commentary.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
3 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
He was charged with endangerment or abandonment of a child and has pleaded not guilty.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Adrian Gonzales, 52, was acquitted on 29 counts of child abandonment and endangerment.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
An hour in McIntyre’s company is a warm, convivial whirlwind of enthusiasm, jokes and anecdotes.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
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Yet, his enthusiasm is tempered by the valuable lessons from his past work in healthcare AI, reminding us of the importance of learning from each step of our journey.—
Sarwant Singh,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But this time, deliberately introduce one element of spontaneity.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Other tracks emerged through a mix of spontaneity and what the brothers describe as chaotic creativity.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Antiques layered into a comfortable, practical palette help strike the balance between austerity and warmth.—
Hannah Coates,
Vogue,
28 Jan. 2026
-
However, 2023 research from Emotion demonstrates that when people receive positive responses — such as warmth, affirmation or approval — their brains treat it as a reward.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Trump knows it, but still took a stab from his privileged bully pulpit in Switzerland with the zeal of neocolonialism.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
21 Jan. 2026
-
The appointees competed to demonstrate loyalist zeal.—
Dexter Filkins,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Despite its name, the bar operates as a globally minded cocktail destination with equal attention paid to other spirits, along with small bites and an impressive cigar selection.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
8 Jan. 2026
-
What’s unique about Tasovská’s approach is that the entire film is composed of Jarcovjáková’s photographs, infusing her artistic spirit into every frame.—
Matt Minton,
Variety,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lightheartedness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lightheartedness. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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