What does "lightweight" mean?
A particular weight class, or member of such, as prescribed by the rules, between that of the heavier welterweight and the lighter featherweight. See Wikipedia for the specifics of each sport.
Lightweight
/ˈlaɪt.weɪt/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A particular weight class, or member of such, as prescribed by the rules, between that of the heavier welterweight and the lighter featherweight. See Wikipedia for the specifics of each sport.
- Grammar: lightweight is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: a nobody, a nothing, airiest, baby.
- Useful contrasts: bloated, bulkier, bulkiest.
- Usage evidence: Ms Sato is no lightweight. I just saw her neck three bottles of beer.
How to use "lightweight"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "lightweight" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "lightweight" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "lightweight" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "lightweight" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "lightweight" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "a nobody" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "lightweight", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A particular weight class, or member of such, as prescribed by the rules, between that of the heavier welterweight and the lighter featherweight. See Wikipedia for the specifics of each sport.
- 2 A weight class division in combat sports, for fighters heavier than those in the featherweight division and lighter than those in the welterweight division. wordnet
- 3 A particular weight category as prescribed by the rules, separate from an open or heavyweight class.
- 4 a professional boxer who weighs between 131 and 135 pounds wordnet
- 5 A competitive weight division as prescribed by the rules, between the heavier middleweight and the lighter featherweight.
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 a wrestler who weighs 139-154 pounds wordnet
- 7 One of little consequence or ability.
- 8 an amateur boxer who weighs no more than 132 pounds wordnet
- 9 A person who cannot handle their drink; one who gets drunk on very little alcohol.
""Wait, is this about the other night when you two lightweights totally went on that bender?""
- 10 someone who is unimportant but cheeky and presumptuous wordnet
- 11 A person with low endurance. broadly
- 12 A political candidate with little chance of winning.
- 13 Something that is light in weight, or relatively so.
"He mentions the "huge engine, lying on its side"—it was in fact a 2-2-2 weighing but 27 tons, something of a lightweight, even for 1868."
Verb
- 1 To reduce the amount or weight of. transitive
"By extending the producer’s responsibility to the product’s disposal (its post-consumer life), issues previously outside the business calculus become of paramount importance. Because a producer knows it will have to bear the cost of collecting and valorizing the product, it must manage a new set of business matters. Can the packaging be lightweighted? Are the materials all recyclable?"
Adjective
- 1 Lacking in earnestness, ability, or profundity.
- 2 Having less than average weight.
"[…] the Plan incorporates in proper combination every available modern technique, including extensive electrification on the new standard high-voltage a.c. system at a frequency of 50 cycles; main-line diesel traction as a half-way house to electrification; lightweight diesel trains for secondary and branch services; and a smaller wagon fleet doing more work by the use of continuous brakes in conjunction with modernised terminals and marshalling yards."
- 3 Lacking in strength.
"With the Gunners far too lightweight in midfield, Mikel Arteta dropped back into a deeper-lying role. This freed Yossi Benayoun to go further forward, a move that helped forge a rare Arsenal chance on 30 minutes when the Israeli released Van Persie, only for the Dutchman's snap-shot to be tipped around the post."
- 4 Having a small footprint or performance impact.
Adjective
- 1 weighing relatively little compared with another item or object of similar use wordnet
- 2 having no importance or influence wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Ms Sato is no lightweight. I just saw her neck three bottles of beer."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "lightweight"?
Common synonyms include: a nobody, a nothing, airiest, baby, backpacking, balsa.
How do you use "lightweight" in a sentence?
Ms Sato is no lightweight. I just saw her neck three bottles of beer.
How do you pronounce "lightweight"?
Pronounced /ˈlaɪt.weɪt/.
Etymology
From light (“not heavy”, adjective) + weight (noun).