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

The tally, shared on Twitter by Aviation Week & Space Technology defense editor Stephen Trimble, shows a slight increase of 17 aircraft year over year, from 362 authorized in 2019 to 379 proposed for 2020. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The Pentagon’s 2020 Budget Asks for Nearly 380 Aircraft, But One Buy Is Raising Eyebrows," 13 Mar. 2019 The fall of his hand and the slight inward turn of his feet broadcast vulnerability and melancholy. — Vogue, "“Friday I’m in Love”—A Valentine to Robert Smith as the Cure Is Inducted Into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame," 29 Mar. 2019 Iglesia notes that some preliminary small studies have found slight improvements in vaginal dryness and tightness 6 or 12 months after three treatments of laser or radio frequency. — Elizabeth Siegel, Allure, "Vaginal Rejuvenation Is on the Rise, But the Results Often Don't Live Up to the Hype," 27 Mar. 2019 But in 2007, a California study found a slight decrease in energy use, though one within the margin of error. — Dan Nosowitz, Popular Mechanics, "Daylight Savings Time Is Actually a Good Thing," 4 Mar. 2019 The company hit its mid-year goal just a few hours after Musk’s deadline, and finally started turning a slight profit on the Model 3. — Sean O'kane, The Verge, "The Verge 2018 tech report card: Tesla," 29 Dec. 2018 Brooklinen's set earned top marks in our Lab’s recent test for fabric strength, and our pros only noted slight shrinkage and pilling. — Nicole Saporita, Good Housekeeping, "The 5 Best Bed-in-a-Bag Sets You Can Buy," 24 Dec. 2018 There are numerous stories and images of very slight bends on brand-new devices on the MacRumors forums, and The Verge's Chris Welch observed the same issue in his own iPad. — Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, "Some iPad Pros ship a little bent, and Apple says that’s normal," 20 Dec. 2018 While Ellis and her designer avoided major roadblocks during there weren’t any major challenges throughout the renovation, wall removal did cause some slight molding damage that needed to be fixed by a craftsperson. — Samantha Weiss Hills, Curbed, "“Every morning, I wake up and notice something new about it”," 3 Dec. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

That’s not to slight anybody or any situation or anything. — Sam Mcdowell, kansascity, "Chiefs’ Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes respond to NFL’s national anthem policy | The Kansas City Star," 24 May 2018 American politics increasingly resembles the Middle Eastern variety, where each side remembers how it was slighted yesterday and vows to exact its retribution tomorrow. — Bobby Jindal, WSJ, "Democrats, Try Some Self-Restraint," 8 Oct. 2018 Fair or unfair, All-Star appearances are one way to measure greatness, and fan voting already slights worthy small-market players. — Tom Verducci, SI.com, "Nine Innings: How Bryce Harper Is Trying to Revive His Season, What We Learned in the First Half and More," 9 July 2018 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

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The slights are pervasive, with black model stars continually confronted with hairstylists and makeup artists unwilling to adapt to the nuances of working with darker skin and textured hair. — Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, "Models on Why Representation Matters," 9 Apr. 2019 While Soros's statement may have been the most candid and public slight at Gillibrand, anger with her continues to bubble on the left. — Eugene Scott, Washington Post, "George Soros and sexism on the left in the age of #MeToo," 11 June 2018 Benetti often encounters people at airports whose attempts at help can vertently come off as slights. — Phil Thompson, chicagotribune.com, "White Sox announcer Jason Benetti recalls 'awkward moments' because of his disability — but says we should embrace them," 17 May 2018 That’s why the relationship was so intense and the slights and betrayals were felt so deeply. — Caryn James, WSJ, "In ‘The Favourite,’ Filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos Upends a Period Piece," 22 Sep. 2018 In fact, management experts and executives say, harassment can be a direct side effect of a workplace that slights women on everything from pay to promotions, especially when the perception is that men run the show and women can’t speak up. — Vanessa Fuhrmans, WSJ, "What #MeToo Has to Do With the Workplace Gender Gap," 23 Oct. 2018 The world’s greatest superpower is under the control of a fragile and insecure narcissist known for objectifying women, bragging about his wealth and turning every personal slight into a full-blown national crisis. — Rachel Held Evans, Washington Post, "The Bible is literature for the resistance," 12 July 2018 Timberlake took pity on the search engine for its *slight* hiccup. — Heran Mamo, Billboard, "Justin Timberlake & Lance Bass Call Out Google for Thinking Shaquille O'Neal Is in *NSYNC," 22 May 2018 Because so many white evangelicals feel that their role in America is under siege, perceived slights against the notion of Christian patriotism take on an outsize effect. — Tara Isabella Burton, Vox, "What one pastor’s anti-Nike protest says about religion and nationalism in America," 14 Sep. 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.