Meaning of lightly in English

Table of contents

Adverb
lightly
Definitions
1. without good reason
Examples
- « one cannot say such things lightly »
2. with few burdens
Examples
- « experienced travellers travel light »
3. with little weight or force
Examples
- « she kissed him lightly on the forehead »
4. indulging with temperance
Examples
- « we eat lightly in the morning »
Antonyms
5. with indifference or without dejection
Examples
- « he took it lightly »
6. in a small quantity or extent
Examples
- « spread the margarine thinly over the meat »
- « apply paint lightly »
Antonyms
- thickly
7. to a slight degree
Examples
- « her speech is only lightly accented »

Famous quotes

« He who has great power should use it lightly. »
Lucius Annaeus Seneca
« I couldn't be happier about being a part of 'Hunger Games' and to play Katniss. I have a huge responsibility to the fans of this incredible book and I don't take it lightly. I will give everything I have to these movies and to this role to make it worthy of Suzanne Collins' masterpiece. »
Jennifer Lawrence
« A very intimate sense of the expressiveness of outward things, which ponders, listens, penetrates, where the earlier, less developed consciousness passed lightly by, is an important element in the general temper of our modern poetry. »
Walter Pater
« If I despised myself, it would be no compensation if everyone saluted me, and if I respect myself, it does not trouble me if others hold me lightly. »
Max Nordau
« It's your outlook on life that counts. If you take yourself lightly and don't take yourself too seriously, pretty soon you can find the humor in our everyday lives. And sometimes it can be a lifesaver. »
Betty White