slight

adjective

\ ˈslīt

Definition of slight

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : having a slim or delicate build : not stout or massive in body

b : lacking in strength or substance : flimsy, frail

c : deficient in weight, solidity, or importance : trivial a slight movie

2 : small of its kind or in amount a slight chance a slight odor of gas

slight

verb

slighted; slighting; slights

Definition of slight (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to treat as slight or unimportant : make light of

2 : to treat with disdain or indifference slight a guest

3 : to perform or attend to carelessly and inadequately don't slight your work

slight

noun

Definition of slight (Entry 3 of 3)

1 : an act or an instance of slighting

2 : an instance of being slighted : a humiliating discourtesy

Other Words from slight Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about slight

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Choose the Right Synonym for slight

Adjective

thin, slender, slim, slight, tenuous mean not thick, broad, abundant, or dense. thin implies comparatively little extension between surfaces or in diameter, or it may imply lack of substance, richness, or abundance. thin wire a thin soup slender implies leanness or spareness often with grace and good proportion. the slender legs of a Sheraton chair slim applies to slenderness that suggests fragility or scantiness. a slim volume of poetry a slim chance slight implies smallness as well as thinness. a slight build tenuous implies extreme thinness, sheerness, or lack of substance and firmness. a tenuous thread

Verb

neglect, disregard, ignore, overlook, slight, forget mean to pass over without giving due attention. neglect implies giving insufficient attention to something that merits one's attention. habitually neglected his studies disregard suggests voluntary inattention. disregarded the wishes of his family ignore implies a failure to regard something obvious. ignored the snide remark overlook suggests disregarding or ignoring through haste or lack of care. in my rush I overlooked a key example slight implies contemptuous or disdainful disregarding or omitting. slighted several major authors in her survey forget may suggest either a willful ignoring or a failure to impress something on one's mind. forget what others say

Examples of slight in a Sentence

Adjective

There is a slight chance of rain. Her head is tilted at a slight angle in the picture. If you have even the slightest doubt, then don't do it.

Verb

I'm sure he didn't mean to slight you. He was slighted by his colleagues.

Noun

refused to respond to their petty slights

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

In May, a seasonally adjusted 117,000 manufacturing workers were let go, a slight decline from April. — Eric Morath, WSJ, "Factory Workers’ New Perk: Job Security," 10 July 2018 Across the past decade, experts also noted a slight decline in the range of perspectives provided in major print and broadcast media, which corresponds to the intense debate about biased media in the United States. — Anna Lührmann, Washington Post, "One-third of the world’s population lives in a declining democracy. That includes the United States.," 4 July 2018 The US Department of Transportation estimates 37,150 people died on American roads in 2017, a slight 0.8 percent decline over 2016—but a leap of more than 10 percent since 2014. — Aarian Marshall, WIRED, "Distracted Driving Is Out of Control, and There's No Single Cure," 27 June 2018 Hawaii was the only state that experienced a slight decline (a rate of less than 2 percent). — Fiza Pirani, ajc, "Major depression diagnoses in US up 33 percent since 2013, study finds," 11 May 2018 Women who held team vice president positions made up 23.5 percent (137 of 583), a slight decrease from last year's study. — Steve Reed, chicagotribune.com, "Report: NBA still leads men's pro sports in diversity hiring," 26 June 2018 But he’s seen a slight decrease in snap percentage every year. — Paul Dehner Jr., Cincinnati.com, "Cincinnati Bengals' Dunlap: ‘Felt painted as a selfish guy, but that wasn’t my objective’," 12 June 2018 The 17 people who were killed by police represented a slight decrease from 19 in 2016. — Nicole Santa Cruz, latimes.com, "Fatal shootings by LAPD down but less lethal use of force is up, report says," 6 June 2018 James should have been a fifth-round pick, as his hands and elusiveness are top-notch and his toughness belies his slight frame. — Noel Harris, sacbee, "49ers draft grades: Some surprise picks lead to a wide range of marks for 2018 class | The Sacramento Bee," 29 Apr. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Mitchell should feel slighted by those vote totals. — Gentry Estes, The Courier-Journal, "Donovan Mitchell should feel slighted in NBA rookie of the year voting," 26 June 2018 Top of the game Panthers coach Ron Rivera is trying to figure out why Short — and the entire defensive line — seem to get slighted. — Joseph Person, charlotteobserver, "At $780,000 per game, he could be the Panthers' most underrated player," 22 June 2018 BERLIN – Berlin police say an officer has discharged his gun near the German capital's cathedral, slighting injuring a man. — Fox News, "Berlin police officer shoots, injures man near cathedral," 3 June 2018 Pregnant women and mothers are often perceived as less committed, steered away from prestigious assignments, excluded from client meetings and slighted at bonus season. — Anchorage Daily News, "Pregnancy discrimination is rampant inside America’s biggest companies," 16 June 2018 Would the other child, our daughter, feel slighted and less loved? — New York Times, "Should I Go to a College I’ve Been Admitted to as a Legacy?," 22 May 2018 But in their shared time on The Bachelor, Booth slighted Martinez. — Rebecca Farley, refinery29.com, "Bekah Martinez Refuses To Play By The Rules Of Bachelor Nation," 22 June 2018 However, some fans see the move to Golf Channel as slighting the NHL, wondering why NBC didn’t use the NHL Network as the home for the games. — Kevin Allen, USA TODAY, "Why Golf Channel is broadcasting NHL playoff games," 18 Apr. 2018 Curry, whose defense is often slighted and even ridiculed, was targeted by the Cavs and LeBron in this series, and came out smelling of James’ cologne. — Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, "Stephen Curry started — and carried — a Warriors’ dynasty," 8 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The biggest slight, however, comes at the end, just as Rhodes reaches the energy transition now under way. — David R. Baker, San Francisco Chronicle, "‘Energy: A Human History,’ by Richard Rhodes," 7 June 2018 Since then, about 1,000 more women work in the occupation, and now women comprise a slight of 51% majority of all workers in the field. — USA TODAY, "Women in the workforce: 20 jobs that have become dominated by women," 21 Mar. 2018 The only modification to the shell was a slight cut out in the front part of the rear wheel wells to accomdate the triangular treads. — Robert Duffer, chicagotribune.com, "Nissan rips up Chicago Auto Show with 370Z snowmobile," 7 Feb. 2018 The situation reminded me of how a small slight between two stubborn friends can spiral into a feud, although even the most pissed-off person would probably not try to destroy his friend’s career. — Adrian Chen, The New Yorker, "Ice Poseidon’s Lucrative, Stressful Life as a Live Streamer," 8 Dec. 2014 Prince William selected his cousin Zara Tindall as a spiritual guide for his firstborn over his younger brother, but the move shouldn't read as a slight. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "The Royal Christening Quiz You Have to Take Before Prince Louis's Baptism," 8 July 2018 The slight tempering served Plein to positive effect—at the end of the evening, which was closed by Paris Hilton in a body-suit beneath an unzipped boiler-suit, one walked away with a feeling of genuinely having had a good time. — Nick Remsen, Vogue, "Philipp Plein Serves Up a Tennis-Themed Sport Collection in Milan," 17 June 2018 While both operate under the same roof, a slight of one might not necessarily be problematic for the other. — Jim Ayello, Indianapolis Star, "Insider: McLaren seems destined to be part of IndyCar's future — one way or another," 4 June 2018 Hutus and Tutsis who had previously lived peaceably start killing each other in a frenzy of recriminations for ancient slights. — New York Times, "A French-Rwandan Rap Star Turned Novelist From Burundi," 29 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'slight.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.