LIGHTLY Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

lightly

adverb

ˈlīt-lē

Definition of lightly

as in easily

without difficulty you're not going to get off lightly if they catch you!

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of lightly After a years-long process, though, both PSG and Manchester City escaped relatively lightly and City seemingly found a friend in the Parisians this time around. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026 The sender decides how much to reveal, but the radio host must make sure that each message, if lightly edited, conveys precisely what the sender intended. — Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 Ivory has a warm undertone, often of yellow but sometimes of pink or brown, while a dead-white has a cool undertone, lightly inflected with gray or blue. — Wendy S. Walters, Architectural Digest, 12 Oct. 2026 Roast the tomatillo, onion and garlic for 20 minutes or until soft and lightly caramelized. — Candy Hom, AJC.com, 11 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lightly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lightly

Adverb

As such, it could be easily exported to describe Jewish quarters elsewhere—and eventually adapted to describe sites of confinement or exclusion the world over.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
The moon's glare will hide faint nearby stars, but Saturn itself is easily bright enough to cope.

— Jamie Carter, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of easily

Adverb

Some dental floss manufacturers have been quietly moving away from the synthetic material PTFE, which helped their product slip smoothly between teeth.

— Margaret Hetherman The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
Some fans have never gotten over the slight, even as Murphy has kept the train running smoothly.

— Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of smoothly

Adverb

The hair accessories blended effortlessly with her texture, folding between the body of her hair thanks to celebrity hair architect Igor Rosales.

— Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Its Jibbitz charms, which snap directly into ventilation holes on its shoes, let wearers mix and match playful designs to effortlessly showcase their personal style.

— Justin Zacks, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of effortlessly

Adverb

Mosquitoes and infected people can move freely from one country to another, and success requires complex coordination between the governments.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
But as that approach began to deliver diminishing returns, and freely available human data started to dry up, the labs have leaned much more on post-training and reinforcement learning.

— Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of freely

Adverb

Manufacturers must produce hardware faster, ground crews must prepare missions in parallel, and reusable boosters must return to service efficiently.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
According to Karlidag, drying similar fabrics together usually helps the load dry more evenly and efficiently.

— Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of efficiently

Adverb

The four-year program is designed to prep students for a myriad of fields — modern theme park design firms work not only on new attractions but readily contribute to museums, zoos, immersive marketing events and more.

— Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Many of the atoll's reefs have since recovered, but some didn't bounce back as readily.

— Lauren Sommer, NPR, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of readily

Browse Nearby Words

lightless

lightly

light-minded

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“Lightly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lightly. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of lightly

adverb

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