overlightly

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search

English

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

From Middle English overlyghtly, over-lightly, equivalent to over- +‎ lightly.

Adverb

[edit]

overlightly (comparative more overlightly, superlative most overlightly)

  1. (dated) In an overlight manner; too easily or readily; frivolously
    • 1589, The French Academie:
      A prudent man doth not overlightly beleeve any thing, but laieth aside all reputation and credit of him that speaketh, and examineth the speech by it selfe: []
    • 1877, John Habberton, Other People's Children, page 101:
      Mrs. Burton's conscience smote her not overlightly, and she hastened to change the subject, and to devote herself assiduously to Budge, as if to atone for some injury which she might have done to his brother.
    • 1878, Eustace Clare Grenville Murray, Round about France, page 146:
      In short, it is said to do more for builders than agriculturists, and has been, let us hope, overlightly named " The Freemasons' Refuge."
    • 1904, Good Housekeeping, volume 39, page 403:
      I have heard it said that in these days young people speak overlightly of divorce.
    • 2016, Karl N. Llewellyn, The Common Law Tradition: Deciding Appeals:
      They had assumed overlightly that all the twists of seal law had become outmoded tortuosities, and then they barked their shins on one which was instead a taut and bearing rope.