'Lightly' definitions:

Definition of 'lightly'

From: WordNet
adverb
Without good reason; "one cannot say such things lightly"
adverb
With few burdens; "experienced travellers travel light" [syn: lightly, light]
adverb
With little weight or force; "she kissed him lightly on the forehead" [syn: lightly, softly, gently]
adverb
Indulging with temperance; "we eat lightly in the morning" [ant: hard, heavily, intemperately]
adverb
With indifference or without dejection; "he took it lightly"
adverb
In a small quantity or extent; "spread the margarine thinly over the meat"; "apply paint lightly" [syn: thinly, lightly] [ant: thickly]
adverb
To a slight degree; "her speech is only lightly accented"

Definition of 'Lightly'

From: GCIDE
  • Lightly \Light"ly\, adv.
  • 1. With little weight; with little force; as, to tread lightly; to press lightly. [1913 Webster]
  • Yet shall thy grave with rising flowers be drest, And the green turf lie lightly on thy breast. --Pope. [1913 Webster]
  • Him thus intent Ithuriel with his spear Touched lightly. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. Swiftly; nimbly; with agility. [1913 Webster]
  • So mikle was that barge, it might not lightly sail. --R. of Brunne. [1913 Webster]
  • Watch what thou seest and lightly bring me word. --Tennyson. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. Without deep impression. [1913 Webster]
  • The soft ideas of the cheerful note, Lightly received, were easily forgot. --Prior. [1913 Webster]
  • 4. In a small degree; slightly; not severely. [1913 Webster]
  • At the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun . . . and afterward did more grievously afflict her. --Is. ix. 1. [1913 Webster]
  • 5. With little effort or difficulty; easily; readily. [1913 Webster]
  • That lightly come, shall lightly go. --Old Proverb. [1913 Webster]
  • They come lightly by the malt, and need not spare it. --Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster]
  • 6. Without reason, or for reasons of little weight. [1913 Webster]
  • Flatter not the rich, neither do thou willingly or lightly appear before great personages. --Jer. Taylor. [1913 Webster]
  • 7. Commonly; usually. [Obs.] --Bp. Fisher. [1913 Webster]
  • The great thieves of a state are lightly the officers of the crown. --B. Jonson. [1913 Webster]
  • 8. Without dejection; cheerfully. "Seeming to bear it lightly." --Shak. [1913 Webster]
  • 9. Without heed or care; with levity; gayly; airily. [1913 Webster]
  • Matrimony . . . is not by any to be enterprised, nor taken in hand, unadvisedly, lightly, or wantonly. --Book of Common Prayer [Eng. Ed.]. [1913 Webster]
  • 10. Not chastely; wantonly. --Swift. [1913 Webster]

Synonyms of 'lightly'

From: Moby Thesaurus

Words containing 'Lightly'