LIGHTLY


Meaning of LIGHTLY in English

light ‧ ly /ˈlaɪtli/ BrE AmE adverb

[ Word Family: noun : ↑ light , ↑ lighter , ↑ lighting , ↑ lightness ; adjective : ↑ light , ↑ lighted , ↑ unlit ; verb : ↑ light , ↑ lighten ; adverb : ↑ lightly , ↑ light ]

1 . with only a small amount of weight or force SYN gently :

I knocked lightly on the door.

2 . using or having only a small amount of something:

a lightly greased pan

lightly armed soldiers

3 . take/treat/approach something lightly to do something without serious thought:

Divorce is not a matter you can afford to take lightly.

4 . get off lightly ( also be let off lightly ) to be punished in a way that is less severe than you deserve:

He got off lightly because his father was a lawyer.

5 . without worrying, or without appearing to be worried:

‘Things will be fine,’ he said lightly.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.