lightly

adverb

light·​ly ˈlīt-lē 

: in a light manner: such as

a

: with little weight or force : gently

b

: with indifference or carelessness : unconcernedly

… the problem should not be passed over lightly …

—Shelly Halpern

c

: with little difficulty : easily

d

: gaily, cheerfully

e

: in an agile manner : nimbly, swiftly

the cat leapt lightly onto the table

f

: in a small degree or amount

lightly salted food

Synonyms of lightly

• easily
• smoothly
• effortlessly
• easy
• freely
• efficiently
• readily

Examples of lightly in a Sentence

He talks lightly about the problems he's been having at work.

She moved lightly across the room.

These vegetables can be eaten either raw or lightly cooked.

Our troops were armed too lightly to take on the heavily armed invaders.

Considering the harm he did, he's gotten off lightly with only a warning.

The judge let her off lightly with a short sentence.

Recent Examples on the Web

Place the buns, cut-side up, on the oven rack and broil until lightly toasted, 30 seconds to 1 minute. — Kate Williams, AJC.com, 21 Sep. 2026

Cook, tossing and adding more pasta cooking liquid a little at a time as needed, until sauce lightly coats pasta, about 2 minutes. — Carla Lalli Music, Bon Appetit Magazine, 21 Sep. 2026

The roof of another building in Gaza City caved in Friday after a brief period of rain, the local civil defense force said, lightly injuring four children. — Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026

Sow the bahia seeds and lightly rake them into the ground or cover with about a half inch of lawn soil. — Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing lightly

• take lightly
• tread lightly

Rhymes for lightly

• brightly
• knightly
• nightly
• rightly
• sightly
• slightly
• sprightly
• tightly
• whitely
• forthrightly
• fortnightly
• politely