: 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
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
The following interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
—Steve Inskeep, NPR, 6 June 2025
But the vast network of online border propagandists, alongside the Administration’s open embrace of racist ideologies, has supercharged the sense that an army of privatized and lightly trained men with guns might be necessary to meet the moment.
—Jessica Pishko, New Yorker, 6 June 2025
This conversation has been lightly edited for length.
—Jeff Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
Rather than relying on heavy sweetness, Persian desserts are lightly sweetened and perfumed with aromatics like rosewater, cardamom, and saffron.
—Shivani Vora, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for lightly
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Steve Inskeep, NPR, 6 June 2025
But the vast network of online border propagandists, alongside the Administration’s open embrace of racist ideologies, has supercharged the sense that an army of privatized and lightly trained men with guns might be necessary to meet the moment.
—Jessica Pishko, New Yorker, 6 June 2025
This conversation has been lightly edited for length.
—Jeff Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
Rather than relying on heavy sweetness, Persian desserts are lightly sweetened and perfumed with aromatics like rosewater, cardamom, and saffron.
—Shivani Vora, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for lightly
Cite this Entry
“Lightly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lightly. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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