lightweight

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Informal

n. someone who is not important or does not have much influence or ability.

n. a person of little importance, influence, or intellectual depth.

“The other politicians ignored him because they thought he was a lightweight.”

“Despite his family connections, he was regarded as a political lightweight who lacked the gravitas to lead the party.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Informal

n. a person who gets drunk very quickly after only a small amount of alcohol.

n. an individual with a low physiological tolerance for alcohol.

“I am such a lightweight that I feel dizzy after just one glass of wine.”

“He earned a reputation as a lightweight among his colleagues after falling asleep at the first office happy hour.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate

adj. made of thin or light material; not weighing very much.

adj. having relatively little weight; specifically designed to be portable or easy to move.

“You should bring a lightweight jacket because it might get cool in the evening.”

“The hikers preferred lightweight carbon-fiber poles to reduce the strain on their joints during the long ascent.”

C1 · Advanced Computing Technical

adj. software that is small, fast, and does not use much of a computer's power.

adj. referring to software or protocols designed to have a small footprint and minimal impact on system resources.

“I use a lightweight browser because my old laptop cannot run the heavy ones.”

“The developers opted for a lightweight framework to ensure the application remained responsive even on older mobile hardware.”

C2 · Proficiency Technical

v. to make something weigh less by using different materials.

v. to reduce the weight of a vehicle or structure, typically to improve performance or fuel efficiency.

“The engineers had to lightweight the car to meet the new racing rules.”

“By lightweighting the chassis with aluminum alloys, the manufacturer significantly improved the vehicle's power-to-weight ratio.”