lightlyadverb
uk/ˈlaɪt.li/us/ˈlaɪt.li/lightly adverb (GENTLY)
B1 gently:
She patted him lightly on the shoulder.
C1 If food is lightly cooked, it is cooked for only a short time:
lightly cooked vegetables
More examples
- Dust the face lightly with powder.
- I like eggs lightly cooked so that the yolk is still runny.
- He touched me lightly on the cheek.
- Dab the paint on lightly.
- She applied the make-up lightly.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Self-control and moderation
- ahold
- be in command (of yourself) idiom
- collect
- command
- constraint
- continent
- cut your coat according to your cloth idiom
- decorous
- dignified
- grip
- impervious
- mind over matter idiom
- moderation
- moderation in all things idiom
- monastic
- restrict
- restrict yourself to sth
- rise above sth
- self-controlled
- self-denial
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Preparing food using heat
lightly adverb (NOT SERIOUSLY)
If you say something lightly, you are not serious when you say it:
"Anyway, it won't affect me because I'm leaving," she said lightly.
not do sth lightly
C2 If something is not said or treated lightly, it is said or treated in a serious way, after great thought:
Accusations like these from a top minister are not made lightly.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Humour & humorous
- a bundle of laughs idiom
- blackly
- bring
- bundle
- crack
- don't make me laugh! idiom
- funny ha-ha or funny peculiar? idiom
- gallows humour
- hysterical
- jocular
- josh
- killing
- lambent
- laugh
- sarcasm
- satirize
- tickle
- witty
- wordplay
- you've got to laugh idiom
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Lacking humour
lightly adverb (NOT SEVERELY)
get off lightly; let sb off lightly
to be punished or to punish someone less severely than might have been expected:
I think he got off quite lightly considering it's his third driving offence.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Not punishing & reducing punishment
- absolve
- amnesty
- clemency
- commutation
- commute
- diplomatic immunity
- discharge
- free pardon
- get (sb) off (sth)
- hook
- impunity
- let
- let sb off
- off the hook idiom
- parole
- remission
- remit
- scot-free
- spare
- unpunished
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