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lightweight

noun · adjective · verb

Simple meaning

Something that is light in weight, or relatively so.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

lytwayt

Say the bold part a little louder.

US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈlaɪtˈweɪt

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

  1. Something that is light in weight, or relatively so.

  2. One of little consequence or ability.

  3. A person who cannot handle their drink; one who gets drunk on very little alcohol.

  4. by extension

    A person with low endurance.

  5. A political candidate with little chance of winning.

adjective

  1. Having less than average weight.

  2. Lacking in strength.

  3. Lacking in earnestness, ability, or profundity.

verb

  1. transitive

    To reduce the amount or weight of.

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: Having less than average weight.

Used this way, lightweight is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
No strong connotation
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use lightweight

  • “This lightweight jacket is perfect for a cool summer evening.”

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.