Library / English Dictionary

    LIGHTLY

    Pronunciation (US): Play  (GB): Play

     I. (adverb) 

    Sense 1

    Meaning:

    With indifference or without dejectionplay

    Example:

    he took it lightly

    Classified under:

    Adverbs

    Pertainym:

    light (psychologically light; especially free from sadness or troubles)

    Sense 2

    Meaning:

    Indulging with temperanceplay

    Example:

    we eat lightly in the morning

    Classified under:

    Adverbs

    Antonym:

    heavily (indulging excessively)

    Pertainym:

    light (marked by temperance in indulgence)

    Sense 3

    Meaning:

    To a slight degreeplay

    Example:

    her speech is only lightly accented

    Classified under:

    Adverbs

    Pertainym:

    light (not great in degree or quantity or number)

    Sense 4

    Meaning:

    With little weight or forceplay

    Example:

    she kissed him lightly on the forehead

    Synonyms:

    gently; lightly; softly

    Classified under:

    Adverbs

    Sense 5

    Meaning:

    With few burdensplay

    Example:

    experienced travellers travel light

    Synonyms:

    light; lightly

    Classified under:

    Adverbs

    Pertainym:

    light (of comparatively little physical weight or density)

    Sense 6

    Meaning:

    In a small quantity or extentplay

    Example:

    apply paint lightly

    Synonyms:

    lightly; thinly

    Classified under:

    Adverbs

    Sense 7

    Meaning:

    Without good reasonplay

    Example:

    one cannot say such things lightly

    Classified under:

    Adverbs

    Pertainym:

    light (psychologically light; especially free from sadness or troubles)

    Credits

     Context examples: 

    It was so long since Fanny had had any letter from her, that she had some reason to think lightly of the friendship which had been so dwelt on.

    (Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

    Bangs came, said Beth had symptoms of the fever, but he thought she would have it lightly, though he looked sober over the Hummel story.

    (Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

    Remember that she comes of a caste who do not lightly show emotion.

    (The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

    The steps fell lightly and oddly, with a certain swing, for all they went so slowly; it was different indeed from the heavy creaking tread of Henry Jekyll.

    (The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

    And yet somehow on that particular night, whether it may have been the slight excitement produced by my little adventure or not I know not, but I slept much more lightly than usual.

    (The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

    Free nerve endings are widely distributed throughout the body, and are found as branches of unmyelinated, or lightly myelinated fibres grouped in bundles beneath the epithelium.

    (Free Nerve Ending, NCI Thesaurus)

    He stood where he was, resting lightly on his crutch, watching his companion like a snake about to spring.

    (Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

    I was lifted lightly from the ground, and I felt an intolerable pressure forcing my head back and back until the strain upon the cervical spine was more than I could bear.

    (The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

    It is about 12 to 20 micrometer in diameter, has a round to oval nucleus with fine, lightly dispersed chromatin and one to four nucleoli.

    (Monoblast, NCI Thesaurus)

    The Brittany is a vigorous, medium-sized, leggy dog with a fairly short, lightly feathered single coat.

    (Brittany Spaniel, NCI Thesaurus)


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