lightly

L1I1G2H4T1L1Y4
/ˈlaɪtli/

adverb

In a light manner.

“As a teacher, I don't take rudeness in class lightly.”

Opposite
CommonScrabble 14

Meanings

adverblightly (comparative lightlier or more lightly, superlative lightliest or most lightly)

comparative lightlier · comparative more lightly · superlative lightliest · superlative most lightly · alternative lighty

  1. In a light manner.

    As a teacher, I don't take rudeness in class lightly.

    2 more examples

    Elbows almost touching they leaned at ease, idly reading the almost obliterated lines engraved there. ¶ "I never understood it," she observed, lightly scornful. "What occult meaning has a sun-dial for the spooney? I'm sure I don't want to read riddles in a strange gentleman's optics."

    1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter VIII, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC

    In the Southern Region of British Railways, most of the damage was caused by earthslips which blocked one or both roads. Obstructions occurred at 21 places in the London Eastern District, and at 18 places in London Central District. On the other hand, the London Western District escaped comparatively lightly.

    1958 November 28, “Storm Damage in the Home Counties”, in Railway Magazine, page 746

Synonyms & antonyms

adverbwith few burdens

Similar

adverbwith little weight or force

adverbindulging with temperance

Opposite

adverbin a small quantity or extent

Similar

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Old Englishlēohtlīċe
  2. Middle Englishlyghtly
  3. Englishlightly

From Middle English lyghtly, liȝtliche, lihtliche, from Old English lēohtlīċe, equivalent to light + -ly.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian леко, несериозно
  • леко (leko)in a light manner
  • несериозно (neseriozno)in a light manner
Catalan lleugerament
  • lleugeramentin a light manner
Czech lehce
  • lehcein a light manner
Esperanto malpeze
  • malpezein a light manner
Finnish kevyesti
  • kevyestiin a light manner
French légèrement
  • légèrementin a light manner
German leicht
  • leichtin a light manner
Italian alla leggera, superficialmente
  • alla leggerain a light manner
  • superficialmentein a light manner
  • in maniera superficialein a light manner
Latin leviter
  • leviterin a light manner
Polish lekko
  • lekkoin a light manner
Portuguese levemente, levianamente
  • levementein a light manner
  • levianamentein a light manner
Russian легко́, слегка́
  • легко́ (lexkó)in a light manner
  • слегка́ (slexká)in a light manner
Slovak ľahko
  • ľahkoin a light manner
Spanish ligeramente
  • ligeramentein a light manner

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with lightly

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

lightly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lightly

MLA

“lightly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lightly. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lightly,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lightly.

Source: lightly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.