: 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
Synonyms
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 conversation has been edited lightly for length.
—Jordan Riefe, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2024
The vanilla flavor is lightly sweet, tastes like vanilla, and has no aftertaste.
—Caroline Thomason, Health, 4 June 2024
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
—Patrick Jarenwattananon, NPR, 3 June 2024
Using your fingers, lightly press dough into hollows of frame.
—Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for lightly 
Jordan Riefe, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2024
The vanilla flavor is lightly sweet, tastes like vanilla, and has no aftertaste.
—Caroline Thomason, Health, 4 June 2024
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
—Patrick Jarenwattananon, NPR, 3 June 2024
Using your fingers, lightly press dough into hollows of frame.
—Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for lightly
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lightly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near lightly
Cite this Entry
“Lightly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lightly. Accessed 9 Jun. 2024.
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