: 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
Shelly Halpern
c
: with little difficulty : easily
d
: gaily, cheerfully
f
: in a small degree or amount
lightly salted food
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
This, which had appeared twice on Geraldine’s phone a year earlier, had become a mantra for Paul and his daughter, a way of lightly mocking Geraldine’s mother, during these trips in his car on Saturday afternoons.
—Colm Tóibín, The New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2025
Granular products must be scratched lightly into the soil and watered deeply down into the root zone.
—Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2025
Some of these laws have only been lightly enforced.
—Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Feb. 2025
Putting it lightly, varied options for the PV5 van.
—Matthew MacConnell, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lightly
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Colm Tóibín, The New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2025
Granular products must be scratched lightly into the soil and watered deeply down into the root zone.
—Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2025
Some of these laws have only been lightly enforced.
—Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Feb. 2025
Putting it lightly, varied options for the PV5 van.
—Matthew MacConnell, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lightly
Cite this Entry
“Lightly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lightly. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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