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

• easily
• easy
• effortlessly
• facilely
• fluently
• freely
• handily
• hands down
• painlessly
• readily
• smoothly
• well

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

Note: Some questions have been lightly edited for length. —Hailey Salvian, The Athletic, 26 Dec. 2024

Dress the Salad: Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving and toss lightly to combine. 7. —Fox News Staff, Fox News, 26 Dec. 2024

Cool and Serve Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown and crinkly and and tops of cookies are lightly puffed, set, and a bit soft in the center. —Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Dec. 2024

For the browned butter, heat ¼ cup of butter in a skillet until the foam subsides and the butter is lightly browned. —Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 24 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing lightly

• take lightly
• tread lightly