discuss lightly

USAGE SUMMARY

'discuss lightly' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use this phrase to indicate that you want to have a brief discussion about something that may not be of great importance or that does not warrant a full-on discussion. For example, "Let's discuss lightly what we need to do next for the project."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

And in an attempt to gradually prepare her, we discuss lightly some of the realities I and others I know have faced as women in the workplace.

Forbes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Before the race, Battaglia interviewed John Ward, Monarchos's trainer, who discussed how lightly he had worked his horse, including no major on-track workouts at Churchill Downs during the week of the Derby.

The New York Times - Sports

The application of these excitation and averaging methods is discussed relative to lightly or heavily damped systems, systems with small non-linearities, FRF models, and peak to RMS (crest factor) as well as signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) issues.

Journal of Sound and Vibration

Yet there in the park he was so benumbed that immediately after leaving this horrible sight he stopped on a path by one of the pools and discussed with a lightly wounded man whether it would be safe to eat the fat, two-foot carp that floated dead on the surface of the water.

The New Yorker

"Since that day, Father Kleinsorge has thought back to how queasy he had once been at the sight of pain … Yet in the park he was so benumbed that immediately after leaving this horrible sight he stopped on a path by one of the pools and discussed with a lightly wounded man whether it would be safe to eat the fat, two-foot carp that floated dead on the surface of the water.

The Guardian - Books

Begbie and Shaw had lightly discussed eloping the last couple of weeks, but decided today was the day to take advantage of an Uber marketing stunt intended for SF's Pride Week.

TechCrunch

After publication, it was quickly shared with me that a merger had been lightly discussed (although to be fair, that was kind of a "gimme"), but when they announced Lopez's number two at Morphoses, Kevin Irving as the new artistic director, it gave Oregon Ballet Theater something it didn't have two years ago: a path to the future.

Huffington Post

Both rappers discuss their futures as fathers on the track, flowing smoothly over mellow, lightly psychedelic synthesizer tones.

Wikipedia

New Zealand's opposition leader, Andrew Little, has warned Key against treading lightly when discussing the issue with Turnbull.

The Guardian

Why is it unthinkable to discuss it without prefacing everything with "of course, it's terribly traumatic, no woman enters into this lightly"?

The Guardian

She touched lightly on issues, discussing support for a national sales tax and support for troops in the Middle East, while pushing to remove child pornography from the Internet and keep minors from viewing adult material.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "discuss lightly" when you want to convey that a topic was touched upon without going into great detail or depth. This is useful when setting expectations for the level of analysis or commitment involved.

Common error

Avoid using "discuss lightly" when the subject matter requires serious consideration or a thorough analysis. Misusing it can trivialize important issues and undermine your credibility.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "discuss lightly" functions as a verb-adverb combination, where "discuss" is the verb indicating a conversation or exchange of ideas, and "lightly" modifies it, indicating the manner in which the discussion is conducted. As Ludwig AI shows, this suggests a brief or casual exchange, without delving into significant detail.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

25%

Academia

25%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "discuss lightly" is grammatically correct and serves to indicate a brief or casual discussion of a topic, without deep analysis. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's appropriate for settings where a superficial treatment is intended or expected. Although the phrase is not very common, it can be effectively used to manage expectations regarding the depth of a conversation. While versatile, it's important to ensure that "discuss lightly" is appropriate for the subject matter, as misuse could trivialize serious topics. Related phrases such as ""touch upon briefly"" or "mention in passing" can be considered as alternatives.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

touch upon briefly

This alternative emphasizes the brevity of the discussion.

mention in passing

Highlights the casual and non-committal nature of the discussion.

glance at the topic

Suggests a quick and superficial examination of the subject.

talk about casually

Focuses on the informal tone of the conversation.

chat informally about

Emphasizes the relaxed and friendly atmosphere of the discussion.

broach the subject gently

Highlights a cautious and delicate approach to the topic.

address superficially

Implies a lack of depth or thoroughness in the discussion.

consider superficially

It suggests thinking about something without careful consideration.

review cursorily

Implies a very quick review.

speak tangentially about

Indicates that the discussion only relates to the main topic indirectly.

FAQs

What does "discuss lightly" mean?

The phrase "discuss lightly" means to talk about a topic briefly or casually, without going into much detail or taking it too seriously.

How can I use "discuss lightly" in a sentence?

You might say, "We need to "touch upon briefly" the budget concerns but we won't "discuss seriously" all of the accounting implications today."

What are some alternatives to "discuss lightly"?

Alternatives include "mention in passing", ""touch upon briefly"", or "glance at the topic", depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey.

Is it appropriate to "discuss lightly" sensitive topics?

It depends on the context. With sensitive topics, it might be more appropriate to "broach the subject gently", acknowledging its importance before deciding how deeply to delve into it. Using "discuss lightly" might suggest a lack of seriousness.