Did you know?

Click any word in a definition or example to find the entry for that word

lightly

 - definition
Close

What are red words?

90% of the time, speakers of English use just 7,500 words in speech and writing. These words appear in red, and are graded with stars. One-star words are frequent, two-star words are more frequent, and three-star words are the most frequent.

Close

Thesaurus

The thesaurus of synonyms and related words is fully integrated into the dictionary entries. Click on the T button in an entry to review the synonyms and related words for that meaning.

more
adverb British English pronunciation: lightly /ˈlaɪtli/
  1. 2
    in a way that shows you think something is not important or serious

    ‘Was it something I said?’ she asked lightly.

    1. a.
      [usually in negatives] without considering something carefully and seriously

      The decision was not taken lightly.

      Our objections should not be dismissed so lightly.

  2. 3
    in small amounts, or using only a small amount of something

    Lightly grease a cake tin.

    Snow fell lightly on the rooftops.

phrase

vocal fry

a speech habit in which a speaker lowers their voice at the end of a sentence

BuzzWord Article

Word of the Day Word of the Day

glottal stop

a sound made by stopping air as it passes through your throat. In some varieties of spoken...

Open Dictionary

conflict mineral

a mineral which is mined in a place where there is armed conflict, and sold to help pay for weapons

add a word

Blog

A must for anyone with an interest in the changing face of language. The Macmillan Dictionary blog explores English as it is spoken around the world today.

global English and language change from our blog