Levity

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Levity \Lev"i*ty\ (l[e^]v"[i^]*t[y^]), n. [L. levitas, fr. levis
     light in weight; akin to levare to raise. See {Lever}, n.]
     1. The quality of weighing less than something else of equal
        bulk; relative lightness, especially as shown by rising
        through, or floating upon, a contiguous substance;
        buoyancy; -- opposed to {gravity}.


        [1913 Webster]
  
              He gave the form of levity to that which ascended;
              to that which descended, the form of gravity. --Sir.
                                                    W. Raleigh.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              This bubble by reason of its comparative levity to
              the fluidity that incloses it, would ascend to the
              top.                                  --Bentley.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Lack of gravity and earnestness in deportment or
        character; trifling gayety; frivolity; sportiveness;
        vanity. " A spirit of levity and libertinism."
        --Atterbury.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              He never employed his omnipotence out of levity.
                                                    --Calamy.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. Lack of steadiness or constancy; disposition to change;
        fickleness; volatility.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The levity that is fatigued and disgusted with
              everything of which it is in possession. --Burke.
  
     Syn: Inconstancy; thoughtlessness; unsteadiness;
          inconsideration; volatility; flightiness.
  
     Usage: {Levity}, {Volatility}, {Flightiness}. All these words
            relate to outward conduct. Levity springs from a
            lightness of mind which produces a disregard of the
            proprieties of time and place.Volatility is a degree
            of levity which causes the thoughts to fly from one
            object to another, without resting on any for a
            moment. Flightiness is volatility carried to an
            extreme which often betrays its subject into gross
            impropriety or weakness. Levity of deportment, of
            conduct, of remark; volatility of temper, of spirits;
            flightiness of mind or disposition.
            [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  levity
       n 1: feeling an inappropriate lack of seriousness [ant: {gravity}]
       2: lightness of manner

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  165 Moby Thesaurus words for "levity":
     absentmindedness, absurdity, airiness, amusement, ascent, banter,
     big deal, booing, bounce, breeziness, bubbliness, buoyancy,
     carefreeness, carelessness, catcalling, chaffing, changeableness,
     chirpiness, coquettishness, daintiness, debonairness, delicacy,
     derision, disregard, disregardfulness, distraction, downiness,
     emptiness, ethereality, facetiousness, faddishness, faddism,
     fickleness, fleering, flightiness, flimsiness, flippancy,
     floatability, fluffiness, foaminess, folly, fooling, foolishness,
     frivolity, frivolousness, frothiness, fun, futility, gentleness,
     giddiness, glee, gleefulness, gossameriness, grinning,
     heedlessness, high glee, hilariousness, hilarity, hissing, hooting,
     idleness, inadvertence, inadvertency, inanity, inattention,
     inattentiveness, inconsideration, inconstancy, incuriosity,
     indifference, inobservance, jauntiness, jeering, jocularity,
     jocundity, jolliness, jollity, joshing, joviality, joy, joyfulness,
     joyousness, lack of weight, laughter, leering, levitation,
     light heart, lightheartedness, lightmindedness, lightness,
     lightsomeness, mercuriality, mercurialness, merriment, merriness,
     mirth, mirthfulness, mockery, negligence, nonobservance, nugacity,
     obliviousness, panning, perkiness, pertness, playfulness,
     prankishness, pranksomeness, ragging, raillery, rallying, razzing,
     regardlessness, resilience, ridicule, roasting, roguishness,
     scoffing, shallowness, silliness, skittishness, slenderness,
     slightness, smart-aleckiness, smartness, smirking, sneering,
     snickering, sniggering, snorting, softness, sportiveness,
     superficiality, taunting, tenderness, thoughtlessness, trickery,
     trickiness, triflingness, triteness, triviality, trivialization,
     trivialness, twitting, unalertness, unawareness, unconsciousness,
     undependability, unheaviness, unheedfulness, unintentiveness,
     unmindfulness, unobservance, unpredictability, unreliability,
     unwariness, unwatchfulness, vacuity, vanity, vapidity, volatility,
     waggery, waggishness, weightlessness, yeastiness