lightly
/ˈlaɪtli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈlaɪtli/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlīt-lē/ (ame, mw)
lightly — 副詞
1. done with a gentle touch, applying hardly any strength when contacting a surface
輕輕地
用很少力氣輕柔地碰觸或移動
done with a gentle touch, applying hardly any strength when contacting a surface or person.
Eshe lightly touched the kitten's ear to see if it would stir.
Eshe 輕輕碰了碰小貓的耳朵，看牠會不會動一下。
lightly + verb of touch (touched)
Snowflakes fell lightly on the shoulders of Noa's winter coat.
雪花輕輕落在 Noa 冬天外套的肩頭上。
The old man lightly pressed the elevator button with his fingertip.
那位老先生用指尖輕輕按了電梯按鈕。
Hugo lightly rubbed his sore shoulder after the morning run.
Hugo 晨跑後輕輕揉了揉酸痛的肩膀。
A red and yellow butterfly landed so lightly on the table that nobody noticed it.
一隻紅黃相間的蝴蝶輕輕停在桌上，沒有人注意到。
- gently
closest synonym, interchangeable in most physical contexts
- softly
emphasises quietness or smoothness rather than weight
- delicately
suggests careful handling to avoid damage
文法句型
lightly + verb (touch / press / rub / tap / land)
2. happening in a mild or limited way; not strongly, heavily, or deeply. Used to de
稍微
程度很小；不很多
happening in a mild or limited way; not strongly, heavily, or deeply. Used to describe a small amount of something such as salt, sleep, rain, or colour.
Lakan lightly salted the rice before serving it to the guests.
Lakan 在米飯上稍微撒了點鹽，才端給客人。
lightly + past participle (salted) — small amount
Christopher was sleeping lightly, so a small noise woke him up.
Christopher 睡得很淺，一點點聲音就把他吵醒了。
The rain fell lightly for most of the afternoon in the small town.
那天下午小鎮上大部分時間都下著毛毛雨。
Emma's hands were lightly dusted with flour from the morning baking.
Emma 的雙手沾了薄薄一層麵粉，是早上烘焙留下來的。
The autumn leaves were lightly coloured with shades of orange and red.
秋天的葉子染上了淡淡的橘紅色。
- slightly
more common for measurable differences; interchangeable in many contexts
- a little
less formal, common in spoken English
- marginally
more formal, used in business or academic contexts
文法句型
lightly + past participle (salted / dusted / covered / seasoned)
用法筆記
Common with past participles to indicate a mild amount of the action: lightly salted, lightly dusted, lightly seasoned. Also used with verbs of sleep and weather (sleep lightly, rain lightly).
常見錯誤
3. prepared over heat for a brief period so the food remains pale, tender, or close
輕煮
食物只加熱很短時間以保留原狀
prepared over heat for a brief period so the food remains pale, tender, or close to its original state.
Jisoo lightly fried the eggs so the yolks stayed soft and runny.
Jisoo 把蛋輕煎了一下，讓蛋黃保持軟嫩流動。
lightly fried — brief cooking, soft result
The recipe says to lightly toast the bread before adding the topping.
食譜上說要先把土司輕烤一下，再放配料。
Sahil lightly steamed the broccoli so it remained bright green and crunchy.
Sahil 把青花菜輕蒸了一下，讓它保持鮮綠爽脆。
The chicken pieces were lightly browned in a pan before going into the oven.
雞肉塊在鍋裡輕煎到表面金黃，然後才放入烤箱。
For a healthy dinner, the fish was lightly grilled with lemon and fresh herbs.
為了健康的一餐，魚肉用檸檬和香草輕烤了一下。
- thoroughly
cooked all the way through
- well
as in 'well done', fully cooked
文法句型
lightly + past participle (cooked / fried / toasted / grilled / steamed)
用法筆記
Most commonly used with the past participles of cooking verbs. The opposite is 'well done' or 'thoroughly cooked'.
4. said or reacted to without showing worry, as if the matter does not need serious
輕率地
說話態度不認真或不當一回事
said or reacted to without showing worry, as if the matter does not need serious attention.
I guess I will just win the lottery, Ignacio said lightly with a grin.
「我想我就中樂透了吧，」Ignacio 笑著輕鬆地說。
said lightly — casual, joking tone
Alessia spoke lightly about her exam results, but she had worked very hard for them.
Alessia 輕描淡寫地說著考試成績，但她其實非常努力。
spoke lightly — downplaying seriousness
When asked about the accident, Defne waved her hand lightly and changed the subject.
被問到那場意外時，Defne 輕輕揮了揮手，換了個話題。
The remark was made lightly, but it still hurt Christopher's feelings more than anyone knew.
那句評論說得很輕率，但卻比任何人知道的還要傷 Christopher 的心。
Élise laughed lightly and said the broken vase was not worth worrying about.
Élise 輕輕一笑，說那個打破的花瓶不值得擔心。
文法句型
say / speak / remark + lightly
laugh / smile + lightly
用法筆記
Often used with speech verbs (say, speak, remark) or laughter. The tone is typically casual, joking, or dismissive. Do not use this sense with actions that require serious consequences.
常見錯誤
5. used in negative sentences to mean 'in a very serious way, after careful thought
審慎
經過慎重考慮，態度認真
used in negative sentences to mean 'in a very serious way, after careful thought'. When something is not done lightly, it is done with great consideration.
The decision to close the school was not taken lightly by the committee.
關閉學校的決定是委員會審慎考量後才做出的。
not taken lightly — serious, carefully considered decision
Accusations of dishonesty are not made lightly in this law firm.
在這間律師事務所，指控他人不誠實不是隨便說說的。
A promise between old friends should never be treated lightly or forgotten.
老朋友之間的承諾絕不應該被輕率對待或忘記。
Issues of patient safety are not handled lightly at the city hospital.
市立醫院對病人安全的問題絕對不會輕率處理。
The judge warned that such offences would not be viewed lightly in her courtroom.
法官警告說，在她的法庭上不會輕看待這類違法行為。
- seriously
direct synonym in negative constructions: 'not taken seriously'
- carelessly
the opposite meaning; 'not done carelessly' ≈ 'not done lightly'
- rashly
acting without careful thought
- thoughtlessly
without consideration for consequences
文法句型
not + verb + lightly (not be taken lightly / not be treated lightly / not be said lightly)
用法筆記
Almost always used in negative constructions (not lightly, never lightly, no one takes X lightly). The positive form 'take something lightly' exists but shifts the meaning toward sense 4 (not seriously). To express this sense in the positive, use 'seriously' or 'carefully' instead.
常見錯誤
6. in a way that does not try to attract attention or admiration; without showing o
謙遜地
不刻意引人注意或炫耀自己的成就
in a way that does not try to attract attention or admiration; without showing off about one's success, knowledge, or abilities.
Noa wore her success lightly, never bragging about the award she had won.
Noa 對自己的成功表現得很謙遜，從不炫耀她獲得的獎項。
wore her success lightly — modest about achievements
Despite his fame, Hugo carried his reputation lightly and stayed friendly with everyone.
儘管 Hugo 很有名氣，他卻不把名聲當回事，對每個人都很友善。
Dr. Okafor wore her knowledge lightly, always explaining hard ideas with everyday words.
Okafor 醫生從不賣弄學問，總是用日常用語解釋困難的概念。
The director received the award lightly, thanking her team rather than herself.
那位導演謙虛地領了獎，把功勞歸給團隊而不是自己。
- modestly
direct synonym; more common in everyday English
- humbly
emphasises a lack of pride, often in religious or moral contexts
- unassumingly
formal; behaving in a way that does not attract notice
- proudly
in a way that shows excessive self-satisfaction
- arrogantly
in a self-important, overbearing manner
文法句型
wear + something + lightly
carry + something + lightly
用法筆記
Often found in the fixed expressions 'wear something lightly' and 'carry something lightly'. Suggests a person has status or ability but does not let it affect how they treat others. A positive quality.
7. to receive a less severe punishment or fewer negative consequences than one migh
從輕處罰
得到比預期更輕的懲罰
to receive a less severe punishment or fewer negative consequences than one might have expected, often luckily.
The teenager got off lightly with a warning instead of a trip to court.
那個青少年只被警告了事，沒有上法庭，算是從輕發落。
got off lightly — escaped worse punishment
Compared to his co-workers, Christopher got off lightly with only a small fine.
跟同事相比，Christopher 只被罰了一小筆錢，算是很輕了。
The dog got off lightly because the neighbour did not mind the dug-up garden.
那隻狗把花園挖得亂七八糟，但鄰居沒有計較，牠算是逃過一劫。
Emma thought she would get off lightly, but the teacher gave her extra homework anyway.
Emma 本以為自己會受到輕罰，結果老師還是給她加了額外的功課。
The driver got off lightly with a warning since it was her first offence.
那位駕駛因為是第一次違規，只被口頭警告，算是從輕處理。
- get off easy
more informal, common in American English
- escape lightly
slightly more formal; can refer to any negative situation, not just punishment
- get what you deserve
receiving the full, expected punishment
- face the consequences
having to deal with the full negative outcome
文法句型
get off + lightly
be let off + lightly
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'get off lightly' or 'let someone off lightly'. Common in spoken English and informal writing. For the opposite meaning, use 'be let off the hook' or 'get off easy' (even less formal).