LIGHTLY Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

lightly

adverb

ˈlīt-lē

Definition of lightly

as in easily

without difficulty you're not going to get off lightly if they catch you!

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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 After a years-long process, though, both PSG and Manchester City escaped relatively lightly and City seemingly found a friend in the Parisians this time around. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026 The sender decides how much to reveal, but the radio host must make sure that each message, if lightly edited, conveys precisely what the sender intended. — Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 Ivory has a warm undertone, often of yellow but sometimes of pink or brown, while a dead-white has a cool undertone, lightly inflected with gray or blue. — Wendy S. Walters, Architectural Digest, 12 Oct. 2026 Roast the tomatillo, onion and garlic for 20 minutes or until soft and lightly caramelized. — Candy Hom, AJC.com, 11 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lightly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lightly

Adverb

As such, it could be easily exported to describe Jewish quarters elsewhere—and eventually adapted to describe sites of confinement or exclusion the world over.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
The moon's glare will hide faint nearby stars, but Saturn itself is easily bright enough to cope.

— Jamie Carter, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of easily

Adverb

Some dental floss manufacturers have been quietly moving away from the synthetic material PTFE, which helped their product slip smoothly between teeth.

— Margaret Hetherman The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
Some fans have never gotten over the slight, even as Murphy has kept the train running smoothly.

— Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of smoothly

Adverb

This cardigan matching set makes getting dressed for a travel day ridiculously easy, with a cropped cardigan and coordinating bottoms that didn’t require much thought.

— Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2026
Exactly two hours of solid Nashville songcraft, well-performed… in a vein where actual, definable country sounds predominate, but with just enough pop tinge to go down easy with the west coast palate… What is wrong with this picture?

— Chris Willman, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of easy

Adverb

Mosquitoes and infected people can move freely from one country to another, and success requires complex coordination between the governments.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
But as that approach began to deliver diminishing returns, and freely available human data started to dry up, the labs have leaned much more on post-training and reinforcement learning.

— Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of freely

Adverb

Manufacturers must produce hardware faster, ground crews must prepare missions in parallel, and reusable boosters must return to service efficiently.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
According to Karlidag, drying similar fabrics together usually helps the load dry more evenly and efficiently.

— Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of efficiently

Adverb

Flexibility is key to the design; almost half of the building is devoted to a multipurpose space that can be readily subdivided into two identically sized spaces.

— Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Then came Fuller’s abrupt departure, a writers strike, and a showrunner shuffle, all of which seem to have contributed to an identity crisis that’s readily apparent in the current version of Crystal Lake.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of readily

Browse Nearby Words

lightless

lightly

light-minded

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“Lightly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lightly. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of lightly

adverb

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