lightheartedness

Definition of lightheartednessnext

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 lightheartedness Often derided by critics during its initial airing, the show’s silliness and lightheartedness has continued to stand the test of time. Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Aug. 2026 That lightheartedness quickly evolved into the NFL’s biggest off-field competition. Karla Cote, Variety, 15 May 2026 In a film that nimbly walks the tightrope between lightheartedness and weightlessness, Jerry and Mabel’s antagonistic relationship ends up proving the unexpected core of the story. Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 2 Mar. 2026 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 O’Flynn is an expressive marvel, her kooky lightheartedness periodically clouding over with a melancholy that cuts to the bone. Jon Frosch, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lightheartedness
Noun
  • Earlier this year, Carlile played the song for Morissette herself, at the induction ceremony for the Songwriters Hall of Fame, screaming the deceptively tricky track with furious abandon.
    Kase Wickman, Vanity Fair, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Olise plays with freedom, intelligence and responsible abandon that is a joy to behold.
    Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Acted with breathtaking ensemble naturalness, the play seems lived in rather than performed.
    Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The ensemble of actors is convincing in its naturalness, with the characterizations remaining consistently precise and ambivalent.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Most looming is her mother’s abandonment, wrapped up in righteous revolution.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Generally, these remain active and don’t see complete abandonment.
    Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 10 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Rubin nods along to those moments — which could have been trimmed and transformed JAŸ-Z in 8 into JAŸ-Z in 6 or maybe JAŸ-Z in 4 — with the same enthusiasm as when Carter actually breaks something down perceptively.
    Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
  • But Husted may not need to generate much enthusiasm of his own.
    Joey Cappelletti, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • As a growing portion of Gen Zers burn out on dating apps, a new crop of ventures and events are trying to bring back offline spontaneity, from matchmaking photobooths, to singles mixers and revivals of Victorian-era acquaintance cards.
    Rachel Hale, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Why bother for spontaneity when two people are doing the exact same thing at the same time?
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Soft neutral tones are lifted by a curved leather-and-wood headboard, striking blue wall art inspired by traditional Turkish textiles and elegant pendant lighting that gives the room warmth rather than hotel uniformity.
    Vicki Power, TheWeek, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Teacher kept her friends for a lifetime Barbara Edwards, 58, who grew up in Wyoming, near Grand Rapids, was a woman of character and warmth.
    Sheryl Lee, Freep.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The source of Stevie’s anger lay in the drug’s having sapped her ability to live and work with the zeal and ambition that had defined her life and career up until then.
    Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The Leipzig scenes are both ephemeral and integral; later, Taro will speculate that if the Germans had had the same revolutionary zeal as the Spanish, Hitler might have been defeated.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • One of the Roundhouse’s biggest brags is an extensive liquor collection, highlighting spirits produced in New York State.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Hoorne plays Woranart, a grandmother in her 80s whose youthful looks conceal a centipede spirit searching for a new host, with Oui (Baipor Thitiya Jirapornsilp), the family’s youngest member, emerging as her likely target.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Lightheartedness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lightheartedness. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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