: 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
Transfer dough to prepared pan and, using an offset spatula lightly coated with nonstick spray, spread into an even layer, working all the way to the edges.
—Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 May 2026
Meta’s threat to revoke social media access in the state altogether was not taken lightly by Torrez.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 1 May 2026
Especially compared with where the writer started in Season 1, Ava’s style has transformed into something confident, lightly influenced by Deborah, and professional.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 1 May 2026
Israeli media reported that a drone strike near Margaliot in northern Israel caused a fire, and that two soldiers were lightly wounded in a separate Hezbollah drone impact in the area.
—Bassam Hatoum, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for lightly
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Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 May 2026
Meta’s threat to revoke social media access in the state altogether was not taken lightly by Torrez.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 1 May 2026
Especially compared with where the writer started in Season 1, Ava’s style has transformed into something confident, lightly influenced by Deborah, and professional.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 1 May 2026
Israeli media reported that a drone strike near Margaliot in northern Israel caused a fire, and that two soldiers were lightly wounded in a separate Hezbollah drone impact in the area.
—Bassam Hatoum, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for lightly
Cite this Entry
“Lightly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lightly. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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