adverb
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
easily/lightly (= without much thought )
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This is a question that cannot be dismissed lightly.
it rains slightly/lightly (= a little water comes down )
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It’s raining slightly, but we can still go out.
kiss sb gently/lightly
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He kissed her gently and stroked her hair.
let sb off lightly/easily (= give someone a less serious punishment than they deserve )
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I think young criminals are let off far too lightly.
sparsely/thinly/lightly populated (= with very few people )
sth is not to be undertaken lightly (= not to be started without serious thought, for example because it is difficult )
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It was not a voyage to be undertaken lightly.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADJECTIVE
brown
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In a saute pan, lightly brown quail with remaining 2 tablespoons oil.
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Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to saute pan and lightly brown rabbit pieces.
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Add onion to pan and saute until lightly brown .
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Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes until lightly brown .
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Remove cover and cook until filling is lightly brown , 5 to 10 minutes longer.
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In medium-sized, heavy saucepan, saute onion in oil until lightly brown and tender.
floured
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Turn out on to a lightly floured table top and knead thoroughly until smooth.
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Turn out dough and knead on a lightly floured surface until firm.
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Turn the dough on to a lightly floured surface and punch it down.
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Roll out with a lightly floured rolling pin to a rectangle the same size as the tin.
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Knead thoroughly on a lightly floured surface until the dough is smooth and elastic. 2.
■ VERB
arm
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They were more lightly armed than Alfonso's knights, but their new way of fighting turned the scales in their favour.
beat
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Serves 4 1 Lightly beat the double cream until holding soft peaks.
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In small bowl, lightly beat eggs.
brush
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Lightly brush with one tablespoon of melted butter, bake for 5-8 minutes until just soft.
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Make the egg wash by whisking the egg and the water thoroughly together, and lightly brush the mixture on the dough.
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He moved to touch her arms and she lightly brushed his lips with hers.
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Put cookies on prepared sheets. Brush lightly with buttermilk and sprinkle with the remaining cup coconut and powdered sugar.
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He shifted his weight so that his body brushed lightly against hers.
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Up again, under his chin, now lightly brushing his mouth.
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To finish the roses, lightly brush green colouring around edge of each petal.
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Lightly brush the surface with water.
coat
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The inner has been lightly coated with Scotchgard, which helps to prevent the fabric from absorbing water.
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Then the whole thing is cooked slowly in a nonstick pan lightly coated with olive oil or clarified butter.
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Lightly coat your hands with one or two drops and smooth over your hair, before or after styling.
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Lightly salt the cucumber and then mix with just enough of the yogurt to lightly coat the cucumber.
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Drizzle vinaigrette over watercress to coat lightly .
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Add more sauce to lightly coat noodles.
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Using a pastry brush, coat lightly with corn oil.
colored
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Add onion, garlic, and shallots to pan and saute until lightly colored , about 7 minutes.
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Using the same pot, saute garlic, onion, carrot, and celery in remaining oil until lightly colored .
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To make lentils, in a medium-sized saucepan, heat oil and saute carrot, onion, and celery until lightly colored .
dismiss
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Such fears, however, should not be dismissed lightly in so far as genetic engineering is still in its infancy.
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No one who has read Errors and Expectations can lightly dismiss the open admissions student.
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But the word was not to be so lightly dismissed from his mind.
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Never think that I dismiss lightly the hard work and devotion that go into each small volume.
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The commune provided some marginal bargaining power for the peasantry since concerted resistance could not be lightly dismissed .
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That is what is at issue, and it is a question that can not be dismissed lightly .
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The safeguards provided by the Act should not be dismissed lightly .
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Her reasons are not to be and were not dismissed lightly , but during the hearing the situation changed dramatically.
flour
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Add about 2 more cups flour to make manageable dough and turn out on to lightly floured surface.
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Turn dough on to a lightly floured board or other surface and knead lightly 7 or 8 times.
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Lightly flour rabbit pieces and brown in batches in oil.
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Turn batter into a well-buttered and lightly floured 9-inch tube pan.
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Turn dough on to lightly floured surface; gently roll in flour to coat.
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Gather up dough and knead on a lightly floured board until smooth, about 5 minutes.
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Unwrap and knead again on a lightly floured board for 5 minutes.
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On a lightly floured board, knead the dough for a couple of minutes.
kiss
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She kisses lightly , licks around the tip, and he's proud like a teenage boy.
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They undressed in the dark, kissed lightly , and lay down, each in his separate narrow cot.
press
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It is slightly creamier than Wensleydale, but is also lightly pressed so it always has a soft texture.
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Turn each ball around in the coating, lightly pressing it in.
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The samples were lightly pressed down using a sheet of newspaper.
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Sprinkle evenly with sesame seeds, pressing lightly to make them adhere.
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The cheese is only lightly pressed , which explains its slightly open texture.
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Place top half of loaf on top of sandwich and press lightly .
rest
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Your hands will now be resting lightly over your ribs. 3.
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Those hands, she thought, one resting lightly on her thigh while the other cleaned the wound.
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He could just see Hasan, sitting, as usual, quite still, his hands resting lightly on the desk in front of him.
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They scrambled from the police car and headed down a narrow alleyway, their hands resting lightly on their sheathed batons.
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Her hands, white to the knuckle-bone, rested lightly on his shoulders.
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Tuan Ti Fo stood there for some time, staring at the door, the wicker basket resting lightly in his hand.
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Their hands were resting lightly on the wizard's shoulders.
run
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Something or other ran lightly over his foot and up his leg as far as his knee.
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She heard him running lightly down the stairs, and breathed a long sigh of relief.
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Pascoe left him and ran lightly upstairs.
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Using circular movements, run lightly until skin is smooth.
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Just then, they heard footsteps running lightly up the stairs nearest to them.
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The approaching footsteps ran lightly to the top of the stairs and came towards them.
take
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People do not lightly take the decision to migrate.
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Those commitments are real and not to be lightly taken .
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Trimming the machinery fleet and the drivers needed to operate it is never an easy task nor one to be taken lightly .
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It should not be taken lightly because acne can cause permanent scarring and emotional problems.
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Now she would have liked them to have covered the warmth of the hand which Mr Carson took lightly in his.
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Strategic support groups are an invaluable form of peer coaching, but they are not to be taken lightly .
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Even then the move wasn't taken lightly .
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Obviously, this is not a step our great republic takes lightly .
tap
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And she descended the stairs and, tapping lightly on the door, turned the handle and went in.
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Cops in twos and threes huddle, lightly tap their thighs with night sticks and smile at me with benevolence.
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She tapped lightly on the tall, wide, ornately panelled door, then pushed it open and walked in.
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Our driver rolled up his window and backed away, lightly tapping the front bumper of the car behind.
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He walked towards the door and tapped lightly on it.
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Glover lightly tapped his cane, looked off over the yellow lights dancing in the lake.
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I thought I'd remove it and, taking a hammer from the toolshed, lightly tapped the offending projection.
toast
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You can lightly toast the seeds in a warm oven.
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Lightly toast the bread and spread the cheese over the warm slices.
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He folded the lightly toasted slice, ready at last to eat.
touch
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The boy had turned on to his side, the fingers of one hand lightly touching his neck.
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And now the magic wand of scent had lightly touched , and passed.
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As a safety feature, the rocker need only be lightly touched on the back section to cut the motor.
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I notice George lightly touching the temporal lobe, exploring for scar tissue once more.
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She turned to her neighbour, Colonel Crossley-Payne, and very lightly touched his arm.
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I lightly touch each fold in her fat baby arms, stroke her wrists and fingers.
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She opened the desk and took out a powder compact and lightly touched her reddened lids.
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Pour batter into pan and bake until cake springs back when touched lightly in center, 45 to 30 minutes.
tread
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They did not tread lightly in the cloying mud, and deserved victory for a greater variety and directness in attack.
treat
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Its conduct is not to be treated lightly .
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No wonder this is a subject that veterans do not treat lightly .
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But such threats should never be treated lightly .
undertake
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The exchanging of tokens was, like the exchanging of vows, not to be undertaken lightly .
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Saving seed can help balance the books, but it's not to be undertaken lightly .
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The story of Combsburgh - an imaginary place Writing a good parish history is not a task to be undertaken lightly .
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Methods of Excavation Excavation is both costly and destructive, and therefore never to be undertaken lightly .
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However, teaching should not be undertaken lightly .
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A bank loan should not be undertaken lightly , especially if your bank manager wants security for the loan.
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This is not a step to be undertaken lightly for it can have serious implications, even if the test result is negative.
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Identifying handwriting is normally a tortuous and time-consuming job, not to be undertaken lightly .
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
let sb down lightly/gently
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
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I knocked lightly on the door.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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A quick-to-prepare, pretty and unusual fruit based starter followed by lightly cooked salmon.
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Getting up from rummaging in the wastepaper basket, she bumped her head, very lightly , on the sink.
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In a large bowl, lightly cream together the margarine and sugar.
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In the light of this awesome fact, how can we treat our membership of that body so lightly ?
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Mix together lightly to form 6 oblong patties.
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Place sage leaves under the skin of quail and season birds lightly with salt and pepper.
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Saute, stirring often, until corn is lightly browned.