Meanings
present singular third person takes lightly · participle present taking lightly · past took lightly · participle past taken lightly
- idiomatictransitiveTo treat casually, without seriousness or worry.
Following England's opening-day win over Wales in Cardiff, Martin Johnson's men headed into the Twickenham contest full of confidence but with a warning from their manager not to take the Italians lightly.
2011 February 12, Mark Orlovac, “England 59-13 Italy”, in BBCSynonyms: make light of · Antonyms: take seriously
Synonyms & antonyms
Translations
Danish tage let på, ikke tage på alvor
- tage let påapproach casually
- ikke tage på alvorapproach casually
Dutch licht opvatten
- licht opvattenapproach casually
Finnish ottaa kevyesti
- ottaa kevyestiapproach casually
French prendre à la légère
- prendre à la légèreapproach casually
German auf die leichte Schulter nehmen
- auf die leichte Schulter nehmenapproach casually
Norwegian Bokmål ta lett på, ikke ta på alvor
- ta lett påapproach casually
- ikke ta på alvorapproach casually
Polish lekceważyć, zlekceważyć
- lekceważyćapproach casually
- zlekceważyćapproach casually
Spanish tomar a la ligera
- tomar a la ligeraapproach casually
Swedish ta lätt på
- ta lätt påapproach casually
Cite this entry
take lightly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20lightly
“take lightly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20lightly. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “take lightly,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20lightly.
Source: take lightly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.