- 1gently; with very little force or effort He kissed her lightly on the cheek. She ran lightly up the stairs.
- 2to a small degree; not much It began to snow lightly. She tends to sleep lightly nowadays (= it is easy to wake her). I try to eat lightly (= not to eat heavy or greasy food).
- 3in a way that sounds as though you are not particularly worried or interested synonym nonchalantly “I'll be all right,” he said lightly.
- 4without being seriously considered This is not a problem we should take lightly. Such fears should not be dismissed lightly. Idioms
to be punished or treated in a way that is less severe than you deserve or may have expected He got off lightly with a small fine. The children were let off lightly.
Check pronunciation: lightly