Meaning & use

levity

noun·Advanced

A lighthearted or humorous approach to something, especially a serious situation.

See it in a sentence

He tried to add a bit of levity to the tense meeting with a well-timed joke.

The eulogy balanced sorrow with moments of gentle levity that made everyone smile.

A note on using this word

Levity is formal and often implies a deliberate, sometimes welcome, lightening of an otherwise heavy or solemn mood.

Words with a similar meaning

humorlightheartednessfrivolity

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

gravityseriousness

Make it your own

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