mildly / lightly
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mildly
Describes the outcome of a dangerous or negative situation that turns out less bad than feared. It means that the damage or injuries remained minor.
Der Unfall ging für alle Beteiligten glimpflich aus, niemand wurde ernsthaft verletzt.
The accident turned out mildly for everyone involved; no one was seriously injured.
'Glimpflich' (mildly/lightly) is almost always used as an adverb to describe the result of an action. It then appears together with verbs such as 'ausgehen' (to turn out) or 'ablaufen' (to proceed).
Die Operation ist zum Glück glimpflich verlaufen.
Fortunately, the operation went mildly.
The most common fixed combinations are 'glimpflich ausgehen' (to turn out mildly), 'glimpflich ablaufen' (to proceed mildly), and 'glimpflich davonkommen' (to get off lightly). All describe an ending with little damage.
Die Prüfung ist für ihn noch einmal glimpflich ausgegangen.
The exam turned out mildly for him once again.
The word is used to evaluate the outcome of potentially negative events. Typical contexts are accidents, illnesses, conflicts, or exams.
Der Streit zwischen den Nachbarn endete glimpflich mit einer Entschuldigung.
The dispute between the neighbors ended mildly with an apology.
light / easy
'leicht' and 'glimpflich' can both express that something is not very bad. 'leicht' directly describes the intensity of something, for example 'eine leichte Verletzung' (a slight injury) or 'ein leichter Schaden' (minor damage). 'glimpflich' is more about the outcome of a bad or dangerous situation: things could have been worse, but the damage remained minor. Learners may confuse the words because both occur in the context of accidents or problems. But you are more likely to say 'eine leichte Verletzung' and 'der Unfall ist glimpflich ausgegangen' (the accident ended without being too serious).
Der Unfall ist glimpflich ausgegangen, niemand musste ins Krankenhaus.
The accident was not too serious; no one had to go to the hospital.
Bei dem Sturz hat sich Tom nur leicht am Arm verletzt.
When Tom fell, he only injured his arm slightly.