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lightly

light·ly
L l

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [lahyt-lee]
    • /ˈlaɪt li/
    • /ˈlaɪtli/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [lahyt-lee]
    • /ˈlaɪt li/

Definitions of lightly word

  • adverb lightly with little weight, force, intensity, etc.; gently: to press lightly on a door bell. 1
  • adverb lightly to only a small amount or degree; slightly: lightly fried eggs. 1
  • adverb lightly nimbly; quickly: to leap lightly aside. 1
  • adverb lightly with a lack of concern; indifferently; slightly: to think lightly of one's achievements. 1
  • adverb lightly cheerfully; without complaining: to take bad news lightly. 1
  • adverb lightly without due consideration or reason (often used negatively): an offer not to be refused lightly. 1

Information block about the term

Origin of lightly

First appearance:

before 900
One of the 4% oldest English words
before 900; Middle English lightli, Old English lēohtlīce. See light2, -ly

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Lightly

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

lightly popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 97% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
This word is included in each student's vocabulary. Most likely there is at least one movie with this word in the title.

lightly usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for lightly

adv lightly

  • easily — in an easy manner; with ease; without trouble: The traffic moved along easily.
  • delicately — fine in texture, quality, construction, etc.: a delicate lace collar.
  • casually — happening by chance; fortuitous: a casual meeting.
  • tenderly — soft or delicate in substance; not hard or tough: a tender steak.
  • moderately — kept or keeping within reasonable or proper limits; not extreme, excessive, or intense: a moderate price.

adverb lightly

  • gently — kindly; amiable: a gentle manner.
  • imperceptibly — very slight, gradual, or subtle: the imperceptible slope of the road.
  • noiselessly — accompanied by or making little or no noise; silent; quiet: a noiseless step; a noiseless typewriter.
  • effortlessly — requiring or involving no effort; displaying no signs of effort; easy: an effortless writing style.
  • ethereally — In an ethereal manner.

verb lightly

  • skirr — to go rapidly; fly; scurry.
  • skim — to take up or remove (floating matter) from the surface of a liquid, as with a spoon or ladle: to skim the cream from milk.

Antonyms for lightly

adv lightly

  • difficultly — not easily or readily done; requiring much labor, skill, or planning to be performed successfully; hard: a difficult job.
  • roughly — having a coarse or uneven surface, as from projections, irregularities, or breaks; not smooth: rough, red hands; a rough road.
  • heavily — with a great weight or burden: a heavily loaded wagon.
  • effortful — marked by effort or exertion; labored.

adverb lightly

Top questions with lightly

  • what does tread lightly mean?
  • what we obtain too cheap we esteem too lightly?
  • how to lightly toast walnuts?
  • why do cats lightly bite you?
  • what does it mean to tread lightly?
  • brakes squeak when lightly pressed?
  • what is lightly lined bra?
  • how to pack lightly for a trip overseas?
  • what is tread lightly?
  • why does my cat bite me lightly?
  • why does my cat lightly bite me?
  • how to lightly bleach hair?
  • how to lightly toast almonds?
  • how to lightly beat eggs?
  • why do dogs sleep so lightly?

See also

Matching words

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