"make light of" meaning in English

See make light of in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Audio: En-au-make light of.ogg [Australia] Forms: makes light of [present, singular, third-person], making light of [participle, present], made light of [participle, past], made light of [past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|make<,,made> light of}} make light of (third-person singular simple present makes light of, present participle making light of, simple past and past participle made light of)
  1. (idiomatic) To regard without due seriousness; to joke about. Tags: idiomatic Synonyms: take lightly Related terms: gloss over Translations (regard without due seriousness): اِسْتَخَفَّ (istaḵaffa) (Arabic), اِسْتَهَانَ (istahāna) (Arabic), 輕視 (Chinese Mandarin), 轻视 (qīngshì) (Chinese Mandarin), 無視 (Chinese Mandarin), 无视 (wúshì) (Chinese Mandarin), tage let på (Danish), fara lættliga um (Faroese), suhtautua kevyesti (Finnish), prendre à la légère (French), nicht allzu ernst nehmen (German), sich nicht viel machen aus (German), auf die leichte Schulter nehmen (German), infischiarsene (Italian), minimizzare (Italian), 侮る (anadoru) (Japanese), 舐める (nameru) (Japanese), ta lett på (Norwegian Bokmål), bimbać [colloquial, imperfective] (Polish), minimizar (Spanish), restar importancia (Spanish), frivolizar (Spanish), ta lätt på (Swedish)

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for make light of meaning in English (5.4kB)

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "makes light of",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "making light of",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "made light of",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "made light of",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "make<,,made> light of"
      },
      "expansion": "make light of (third-person singular simple present makes light of, present participle making light of, simple past and past participle made light of)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English light verb constructions",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Mandarin terms with redundant transliterations",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with redundant transliterations",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I wish you wouldn't make light of the matter, when it obviously means a great deal to him.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2011 September 2, Phil McNulty, “Bulgaria 0-3 England”, in BBC",
          "text": "It was also a satisfying night for England coach Capello. Not only did he have a vital victory to celebrate, but his team selection was fully justified as Cahill gave an almost flawless performance in defence and Scott Parker's display made light of the surprising exclusion of Frank Lampard.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 March 9, Angela Giuffrida, “Revealed: Italian leaders tried to protect country’s image at start of pandemic”, in The Guardian, →ISSN",
          "text": "Messages accessed as part of inquiry show politicians also appeared to make light of cases[.]",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To regard without due seriousness; to joke about."
      ],
      "id": "en-make_light_of-en-verb-94zCSt~Z",
      "links": [
        [
          "regard",
          "regard"
        ],
        [
          "seriousness",
          "seriousness"
        ],
        [
          "joke",
          "joke"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To regard without due seriousness; to joke about."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "gloss over"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "take lightly"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "ar",
          "lang": "Arabic",
          "roman": "istaḵaffa",
          "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
          "word": "اِسْتَخَفَّ"
        },
        {
          "code": "ar",
          "lang": "Arabic",
          "roman": "istahāna",
          "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
          "word": "اِسْتَهَانَ"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
          "word": "輕視"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "qīngshì",
          "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
          "word": "轻视"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
          "word": "無視"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "wúshì",
          "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
          "word": "无视"
        },
        {
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
          "word": "tage let på"
        },
        {
          "code": "fo",
          "lang": "Faroese",
          "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
          "word": "fara lættliga um"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
          "word": "suhtautua kevyesti"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
          "word": "prendre à la légère"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
          "word": "nicht allzu ernst nehmen"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
          "word": "sich nicht viel machen aus"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
          "word": "auf die leichte Schulter nehmen"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
          "word": "infischiarsene"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
          "word": "minimizzare"
        },
        {
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "anadoru",
          "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
          "word": "侮る"
        },
        {
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "nameru",
          "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
          "word": "舐める"
        },
        {
          "code": "nb",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
          "word": "ta lett på"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
          "tags": [
            "colloquial",
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "bimbać"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
          "word": "minimizar"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
          "word": "restar importancia"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
          "word": "frivolizar"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
          "word": "ta lätt på"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-make light of.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/4/47/En-au-make_light_of.ogg/En-au-make_light_of.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/En-au-make_light_of.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "make light of"
}
{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "makes light of",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "making light of",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "made light of",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "made light of",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "make<,,made> light of"
      },
      "expansion": "make light of (third-person singular simple present makes light of, present participle making light of, simple past and past participle made light of)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "gloss over"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
        "English idioms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English light verb constructions",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English terms with audio links",
        "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English verbs",
        "Mandarin terms with redundant transliterations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I wish you wouldn't make light of the matter, when it obviously means a great deal to him.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2011 September 2, Phil McNulty, “Bulgaria 0-3 England”, in BBC",
          "text": "It was also a satisfying night for England coach Capello. Not only did he have a vital victory to celebrate, but his team selection was fully justified as Cahill gave an almost flawless performance in defence and Scott Parker's display made light of the surprising exclusion of Frank Lampard.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 March 9, Angela Giuffrida, “Revealed: Italian leaders tried to protect country’s image at start of pandemic”, in The Guardian, →ISSN",
          "text": "Messages accessed as part of inquiry show politicians also appeared to make light of cases[.]",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To regard without due seriousness; to joke about."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "regard",
          "regard"
        ],
        [
          "seriousness",
          "seriousness"
        ],
        [
          "joke",
          "joke"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To regard without due seriousness; to joke about."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-make light of.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/4/47/En-au-make_light_of.ogg/En-au-make_light_of.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/En-au-make_light_of.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "take lightly"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ar",
      "lang": "Arabic",
      "roman": "istaḵaffa",
      "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
      "word": "اِسْتَخَفَّ"
    },
    {
      "code": "ar",
      "lang": "Arabic",
      "roman": "istahāna",
      "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
      "word": "اِسْتَهَانَ"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
      "word": "輕視"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "qīngshì",
      "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
      "word": "轻视"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
      "word": "無視"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "wúshì",
      "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
      "word": "无视"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
      "word": "tage let på"
    },
    {
      "code": "fo",
      "lang": "Faroese",
      "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
      "word": "fara lættliga um"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
      "word": "suhtautua kevyesti"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
      "word": "prendre à la légère"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
      "word": "nicht allzu ernst nehmen"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
      "word": "sich nicht viel machen aus"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
      "word": "auf die leichte Schulter nehmen"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
      "word": "infischiarsene"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
      "word": "minimizzare"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "anadoru",
      "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
      "word": "侮る"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "nameru",
      "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
      "word": "舐める"
    },
    {
      "code": "nb",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
      "word": "ta lett på"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
      "tags": [
        "colloquial",
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "bimbać"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
      "word": "minimizar"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
      "word": "restar importancia"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
      "word": "frivolizar"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "regard without due seriousness",
      "word": "ta lätt på"
    }
  ],
  "word": "make light of"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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