Meanings
comparative lightlier · comparative more lightly · superlative lightliest · superlative most lightly · alternative lighty
- 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, →OCLCIn 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
adverbindulging with temperance
adverbin a small quantity or extent
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Englishlēohtlīċe
- Middle Englishlyghtly
- Englishlightly
From Middle English lyghtly, liȝtliche, lihtliche, from Old English lēohtlīċe, equivalent to light + -ly.
More words from Middle English, Old English
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
lightly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lightly
“lightly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lightly. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lightly,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lightly.
Source: lightly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.