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Lightly Very Common

Lightly has 8 different meanings across 1 category:

Adverb

Definitions
Adverb
1

without good reason

"one cannot say such things lightly"

2

with few burdens

"experienced travellers travel light"

3

with little weight or force

"she kissed him lightly on the forehead"

4

indulging with temperance

"we eat lightly in the morning"

5

with indifference or without dejection

"he took it lightly"

6

in a small quantity or extent

"spread the margarine thinly over the meat"

"apply paint lightly"

7

to a slight degree

"her speech is only lightly accented"

8

In a light manner.

"She lightly touched his shoulder to get his attention."

Example Sentences
"one cannot say such things lightly" adverb
"experienced travellers travel light" adverb
"she kissed him lightly on the forehead" adverb
"we eat lightly in the morning" adverb
"he took it lightly" adverb
"spread the margarine thinly over the meat" adverb
"apply paint lightly" adverb
"her speech is only lightly accented" adverb
See Also
skip easy does it pleasantly doze palely light kiss faintly
Related Terms
Antonyms
intemperately thickly

Origin

Lightly comes from the Middle English word for "in a light manner," which itself evolved directly from Old English. The term has retained its original meaning throughout its journey into modern English.

Rhyming Words
hotly antly nutly aptly fatly wetly fitly catly artly costly wistly daftly softly raptly fastly deftly meetly nettly tectly shitly
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