1
as in slightness
the state or quality of having little weight
the first thing I noticed about the little bird was its lightness; I could hardly tell I was holding it in my hand
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2
as in cheerfulness
a lack of seriousness often at an improper time
the inappropriate lightness of the anchorman's tone while he was reading the story of the freak accident in which people had died
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as in brightness
the quality or state of having or giving off light
the photographer was concerned that the lightness of the background would cast the main subject into shadow
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lightness
Lisa Donovan, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
There’s none of the impulsive lightness of handheld camerawork; even in fervent motion, the film’s images feel tethered to the ground, deeply rooted in terrain and locale, in physical and intimate histories.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
This million-dollar number comes in two versions, one in titanium and the other in Carbon TPT, a high-tech material that shares properties of lightness and resistance with those used in Formula 1 cars.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 2 May 2025
Despite that lengthy maturation, there’s a lightness to the tequila and the palate has notes of dark chocolate, black pepper, leather, and some bright herbs on the finish.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lightness
Noun
The days are long, the setting is rural and the whole backdrop, the whole experience, create a certain cycle in the kitchen and in me, a ritual of shaking off winter and embracing simplicity and lightness.
—Lisa Donovan, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
There’s none of the impulsive lightness of handheld camerawork; even in fervent motion, the film’s images feel tethered to the ground, deeply rooted in terrain and locale, in physical and intimate histories.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
This million-dollar number comes in two versions, one in titanium and the other in Carbon TPT, a high-tech material that shares properties of lightness and resistance with those used in Formula 1 cars.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 2 May 2025
Despite that lengthy maturation, there’s a lightness to the tequila and the palate has notes of dark chocolate, black pepper, leather, and some bright herbs on the finish.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lightness
Cite this Entry
“Lightness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lightness. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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