lightly

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“
She moaned my name lightly, and I felt myself stiffen a little.

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Definitions (24)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (6)

  1. adverb With little weight or force; gently.
  2. adverb To a slight extent or amount: apply paint lightly.
  3. adverb With little difficulty; easily.
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Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (10)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

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Examples (50)

  • She breathed lightly, her eyes glassy, her face drained of all color. —  Set Sail for Murder
  • They slept some more, lightly, and a few hours later were awakened by a prolonged grinding noise from the rail yard. —  THE MISTRESS
  • The strands tickled her tongue lightly, and a wet filament tugged from her mouth to trace a spiraling design around one nipple. —  F ;SF; - vol 098 issue 04 - April 2000
  • I knocked lightly, and there wasn't a sound from inside. —  Southern Vamp 7 - All Together Dead
  • Spink went across lightly, almost dancing from board to board. —  Hobb, Robin - The Soldier Son 01 - Shaman's Crossing (v2.0)
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This word has been looked up 17 times.

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Etymologies (2)

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. from Middle English lightly, liʒtliche, lihtlīche, from Anglo-Saxon leóhtlīce (= OFries. lichtelik = Dutch ligtelijk = Middle Low German lichteliken = Old High German līhtlīhho, Middle High German līhtelīche, German leichtlich), in a light manner, from leóhtlīc, adjective, light, from leóht, light, + -līc = English -ly.
  2. from lightly, adv.
 

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/ˈlaɪtli/
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