adv
Meaning 1
In a light manner.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- As a teacher, I don't take rudeness in class lightly.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
lightly
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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/ˈlaɪtli/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -aɪtli
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CMU ARPABET: L AY1 T L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
adverb
Meaning 2
with indifference or without dejection
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- he took it lightly
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adverb
Meaning 3
indulging with temperance
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- we eat lightly in the morning
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: heavily
adverb
Meaning 4
to a slight degree
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- her speech is only lightly accented
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adverb
Meaning 5
with little weight or force
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- she kissed him lightly on the forehead
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: softly, gently
Antonyms: none provided
adverb
Meaning 6
with few burdens
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- experienced travellers travel light
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: light
Antonyms: none provided
adverb
Meaning 7
in a small quantity or extent
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- spread the margarine thinly over the meat
- apply paint lightly
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: thinly
Antonyms: none provided
adverb
Meaning 8
without good reason
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- one cannot say such things lightly
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English lyghtly, liȝtliche, lihtliche, from Old English lēohtlīċe, equivalent to light + -ly.
Across languages
Translations
23 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Armenian: թեթեւակի (tʻetʻewaki) — in a light manner
- Bulgarian: леко (leko) — in a light manner
- Bulgarian: несериозно (neseriozno) — in a light manner
- Catalan: lleugerament — in a light manner
- Czech: lehce — in a light manner
- Esperanto: malpeze — in a light manner
- Faroese: lættliga — in a light manner
- Finnish: kevyesti — in a light manner
- French: légèrement — in a light manner
- Galician: lixeiramente — in a light manner
- German: leicht — in a light manner
- Italian: alla leggera — in a light manner
- Italian: superficialmente — in a light manner
- Italian: in maniera superficiale — in a light manner
- Latin: leviter — in a light manner
- Polish: lekko — in a light manner
- Portuguese: levemente — in a light manner
- Portuguese: levianamente — in a light manner
- Russian: легко́ (lexkó) — in a light manner
- Russian: слегка́ (slexká) — in a light manner
- Sanskrit: लघु (laghu) — in a light manner
- Slovak: ľahko — in a light manner
- Spanish: ligeramente — in a light manner