Definition Synonyms
Definition of lightly - Reverso English Dictionary
Adverb
1.
mannerin a gentle or soft manner
- She touched the fabric lightly.
2.
measurementin a small amount or degree
- The soup was lightly seasoned.
3.
attitudewithout much seriousness or concern
- He took the news lightly.
Expressions with lightly
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
move with a soft and light step
She stepped lightly across the creaky floor.
receive a less severe punishment than expected
She got off lightly with a small fine.
give someone a mild punishment for a mistake or crime
The judge let off lightly the young offender.
not treat something as important or serious
He took it lightly, laughing off the supervisor's warning.
saying something in a much less strong way than it really is
Calling the outage inconvenient? That's putting it lightly.
walk carefully to avoid causing damage or making noise
You should tread lightly in the old house.
be humble about your achievements
Even after the award, wear your laurels lightly and thank the whole team.
treat something as not important or not seriously
You shouldn't take your health lightly.
handle with little care or consideration
You shouldn't treat lightly the feelings of others.
equipped with light armor
The soldiers wore lightly armoured vests during the mission.
equipped with minimal or less powerful weapons
The patrol was lightly-armed for the mission.
hurt in a minor way, not seriously harmed
Two passengers were lightly injured in the crash.
having minimal protective covering for mobility
The scout vehicle was lightly armored for speed.
Origin of lightly
Old English, leoht (light) + -ly (like)
Terms with lightly included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
light hit
hit something lightly and quickly
cooking
lightly cook by browning with heat
sensation
touch lightly to cause laughter or twitching
light laugh
laugh lightly in a silly, nervous, or childlike way
playful touch
act of touching lightly to cause laughter
light movement
move lightly and quickly
gesture
touch something lightly with lips as respect
casual throw
throw something lightly or casually
light touch
touch lightly in passing
friendly slap
strike a person lightly with an open hand
light press
press lightly with a soft object
sleep
state of sleeping lightly for a short time
weather
rain lightly with small drops
light snow
thin layer of snow lightly covering a surface
physical action
push someone lightly with finger or object to get attention
light ringing
ring lightly and repeatedly
interaction
bite lightly or sharply
kissing
kiss quickly and lightly
light sleep
sleep lightly for a short period
music
move feet up and down lightly, often with music
throwing
throw lightly or carelessly
cooking
mix ingredients quickly and lightly
throwing
throw something lightly or carelessly
light sleep
sleep lightly or briefly during the day
Examples of lightly in a sentence
The snow fell lightly on the ground. She smiled lightly at the joke. The room was lightly dusted with snow. She laughed lightly at the joke, not taking it to heart. He dismissed the criticism lightly, focusing on his goals instead.
View all translations of lightly
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:délicatement, faiblement, ...
- German:sanft, ein wenig, ...
- Italian:delicatamente, leggermente, ...
- Spanish:suavemente, levemente, ...
- Portuguese:suavemente, levemente, ...
- Chinese:轻轻地, 稍微地, ...
- Japanese:そっと, 少し, ...
- Arabic:بِلُطْف, بِشَكْل خَفِيف, ...
- Hebrew:בְּעֲדִינוּת, קַלּוּת, ...
- Russian:легко, слегка, ...
- Ukrainian:легенько, злегка, ...
- Hindi:हल्के से, हल्का, ...
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