take lightly
To treat casually, without seriousness or worry.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Do not take this decision lightly.”
“The company does not take safety violations lightly, so you must follow all the rules.”
“While he often appeared carefree, he never took his professional responsibilities lightly, always ensuring every detail met his high standards.”
- 01
be taken ill
To become ill.
- 02
cross to take up
Alternative form of cross to bear.
- 03
forget to take one's medication this morning
To be annoyed or irritable, or to behave in an ill-mannered way, particularly in the morning.
- 04
get off lightly
To end up with a mild punishment, or without serious harm.
- 05
get taken in
To be fooled; to fall for.
- 06
give and take
A process of compromise or accommodation.
- 07
give someone an inch and someone will take a mile
Alternative form of give them an inch and they'll take a mile.
- 08
have one's name taken
To receive a yellow card.
Last updated August 10, 2026