SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS

levity

noun

Lightness of manner, especially when greater seriousness is expected.

Compare the alternatives Definition and examples

Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.

Lightness of manner

Closest synonyms

lightness frivolity flippancy playfulness lightheartedness

Related words and expressions

These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.

Usage distinction

Levity may relieve tension or be inappropriate, depending on the situation; flippancy is more clearly critical.

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Test this word in the Comprehensive Synonym Exam

CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT

See levity in use

A little levity eased the tension before the rehearsal began.

Dictionary practice example.

A small joke about the group's collection of mismatched ladders introduced welcome levity.

From The Tone of Leadership.

Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.

Synonym reference scope and sources

The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.

Princeton WordNet 3.0: selected lexical senses

How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license

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