lightly

adverb

ˈlīt-lē How to pronounce lightly (audio)
Definition of lightlynext
as in easily
without difficulty you're not going to get off lightly if they catch you!

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 lightly In the chamber, Hood extends one shaking hand over Silvia, his other hand lightly bracing Silvia’s leg as the three drugs are being administered in sequence. — Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2026 Lionel Messi was fined by MLS for lightly slapping Union attacker Quinn Sullivan. — Matt Piper, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026 These cats may be bald, lightly fuzzy or have patches of fur. — Pat Mueller, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026 Slowly drop the chin to the chest, lightly pulling down through the spine. — Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lightly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lightly
  1. easily
  2. smoothly
  3. effortlessly
  4. easy
  5. freely
  6. efficiently
  7. readily
Adverb
  • Casual hook-ups just don’t come easily to him, and that’s okay.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • With so many moving pieces involved in buying a car, insurance can easily fall to the bottom of the priority list.
    — McKynzie Steward, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of easily
Adverb
  • Just because the gaps are closed and everything is buttoned up, there are no guarantees everything will go smoothly once the peak season arrives.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The 27-inch Odyssey G3 keeps your study desk and gaming setup running smoothly with an ultrafast 180-hertz refresh rate and 1ms response time.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of smoothly
Adverb
  • The daughter of Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz has cultivated her own aesthetic, ranging from edgy to romantic and from effortlessly off-duty to full red carpet glamour.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The 42mm transducer system pumps out breathtaking dynamic range, while Adaptive Noise Cancellation effortlessly silences noisy dorm halls and busy coffee shops.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of effortlessly
Adverb
  • There was no sign of the usual easy-going, affable nature that has been so indicative of Joe Root’s personality in his 14 years as an England cricketer.
    — Paul Newman, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • That makes the decision about whether to draft a quarterback next year easy.
    — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of easy
Adverb
  • Uncertainty about when the war with Iran will allow oil tankers to freely exit the Persian Gulf again has roiled markets, causing oil prices to rise and pushing up Treasury yields due to worries over inflation.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Synaptic purge To find out how many synapses are lost during QIH, Tanaka’s team implanted tetrodes, bundles of fine electrodes, into the hippocampus of freely moving mice.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of freely
Adverb
  • The process is still largely done by hand because machines have not been developed that can efficiently remove the delicate threads without damaging the product.
    — Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • People moving efficiently through space, eyes down, earbuds in, interacting with screens instead of humans.
    — Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of efficiently
Adverb
  • Health care plans have also expanded mental health coverage, and players have begun to use those offerings more readily.
    — Mike Jones, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • There are diagnostic tests for many conditions, but a doctor’s list of potential diagnoses may be long, and the culprit might be too rare to come readily to mind.
    — Jason Liebowitz, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of readily

Browse Nearby Words

lightless
lightly
light-minded
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lightly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lightly. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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