Synonyms of slight

slight 1 of 3

adjective

ˈslīt 

1

as in weak

lacking bodily strength

a small lad with a slight build

Synonyms & Similar Words

• weak
• weakened
• feeble
• faint
• frail
• softened
• soft
• disabled
• languid
• low
• unsubstantial
• wimpy
• asthenic
• wasted
• delicate
• paralyzed
• tired
• debilitated
• vulnerable
• effete
• tender
• infirm
• prostrate
• enfeebled
• injured
• wimpish
• down-and-out
• exhausted
• sapped
• weary
• incapacitated
• prostrated
• fragile
• enervated
• susceptible
• unsteady
• drained
• invalid
• dizzy
• hurt
• rocky
• flimsy
• powerless
• damaged
• impotent
• woozy
• impaired
• decrepit
• groggy
• yielding
• breakable
• flagging
• resistless
• broken-down
• unsound
• unresistant
• harmed
• worn-out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• strong
• powerful
• mighty
• muscular
• stout
• stalwart
• hard
• athletic
• fit
• rugged
• husky
• beefy
• robust
• tough
• brawny
• virile
• sinewy
• sturdy
• lusty
• hardy
• vigorous
• hardened
• sound
• energetic
• able-bodied
• strengthened
• fortified
• capable
• healthy
• strapping
• competent
• hale
• energized
• red-blooded
• inured
• toughened
• recovering
• invigorated
• vitalized
• recuperating
• convalescing

2

as in minor

lacking importance

a slight comedy that did nothing to further her career

Synonyms & Similar Words

• minor
• small
• little
• trivial
• negligible
• insignificant
• incidental
• trifling
• inconsiderable
• unimportant
• worthless
• minute
• foolish
• frivolous
• inconsequential
• petty
• nugatory
• neither here nor there
• Mickey Mouse
• fiddling
• small-fry
• one-horse
• obscure
• small-time
• unknown
• anonymous
• paltry
• jerkwater
• nickel-and-dime
• nameless
• uncelebrated

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• significant
• major
• substantial
• important
• big
• meaningful
• momentous
• fatal
• consequential
• decisive
• weighty
• dominant
• eventful
• material
• principal
• prominent
• fateful
• remarkable
• chief
• distinctive
• overriding
• impressive
• outstanding
• exceptional
• great
• overbearing
• worthy
• valuable
• worthwhile
• unfrivolous
• distinguished
• eminent
• basic
• fundamental
• overmastering
• famous
• illustrious
• key
• notorious
• essential
• prestigious
• renowned
• all-important
• preeminent

3

as in little

of a size that is less than average

the slight youth packed a surprisingly solid punch

Synonyms & Similar Words

• little
• small
• diminutive
• tiny
• pocket
• fine
• sparse
• smallish
• miniature
• puny
• dwarfish
• subnormal
• slender
• dinky
• dwarf
• undersized
• poor
• pocket-size
• spare
• pygmy
• stunted
• minuscule
• lacking
• toylike
• Lilliputian
• mini
• half-pint
• shrimpy
• microscopic
• bantam
• insufficient
• miniaturized
• pint-size
• infinitesimal
• teensy
• micro
• scant
• inappreciable
• wee
• teeny
• meager
• inadequate
• pinpoint
• bitty
• scrubby
• weeny
• slim
• scarce
• little bitty
• minute
• toy
• scanty
• minim
• skimpy
• stingy
• teensy-weensy
• wanting
• deficient
• teeny-weeny
• runty
• minikin
• runtish
• capsule
• skimp
• bite-size

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• considerable
• substantial
• large
• great
• sizable
• big
• massive
• huge
• tremendous
• whopping
• goodly
• enormous
• grand
• handsome
• vast
• hefty
• immense
• appreciable
• husky
• outsize
• gross
• oversize
• gigantic
• voluminous
• tidy
• bulky
• giant
• colossal
• ample
• monumental
• staggering
• prodigious
• stupendous
• monstrous
• mountainous
• copious
• galactic
• generous
• mammoth
• gargantuan
• heroic
• cavernous
• abundant
• titanic
• liberal
• monolithic
• largish
• herculean
• healthy
• jumbo
• wide
• biggish
• plentiful
• broad
• thick
• boxcar
• bountiful
• overscale
• whacking
• Himalayan
• king-size
• humongous
• plenteous
• fat
• elephantine
• sufficient
• hulking
• infinite
• enough
• adequate
• cyclopean
• cosmic
• Brobdingnagian
• immeasurable
• incalculable
• boundless
• pharaonic
• leviathan
• Bunyanesque

4

as in nominal

so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention

apart from a slight fishy taste, the dish was fine

Synonyms & Similar Words

• nominal
• petty
• minute
• tiny
• negligible
• trivial
• little
• inconsiderable
• trifling
• insignificant
• niggling
• piddling
• inconsequential
• piffling
• measly
• paltry
• footling
• picayune
• pimping
• piddly
• Mickey Mouse
• mean
• peanut
• chicken
• imperceptible
• de minimis
• inappreciable
• no-account
• puny
• inferior
• pettifogging
• quibbling
• nitpicking
• small-fry
• one-horse
• hairsplitting
• two-bit

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• considerable
• significant
• important
• substantial
• big
• serious
• material
• prominent
• consequential
• striking
• remarkable
• outstanding
• conspicuous
• noteworthy
• appreciable
• weighty
• momentous
• measurable
• pivotal
• discernible
• eventful

5

as in small

small in degree

only a slight chance of success

Synonyms & Similar Words

• small
• off
• slim
• negligible
• minimal
• minor
• marginal
• outside
• remote
• fragile
• tiny
• little
• frail

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• good
• large
• great
• significant
• distinct
• considerable
• substantial
• sizable
• healthy
• respectable
• goodly
• largish
• tidy

slight

2 of 3

noun

as in insult

an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings

refused to respond to their petty slights

Synonyms & Similar Words

• insult
• sarcasm
• indignity
• outrage
• slap
• affront
• slur
• name
• barb
• dart
• offense
• personality
• attack
• epithet
• dis
• poke
• cut
• sneer
• dig
• disgrace
• criticism
• brickbat
• shame
• taunt
• gird
• gibe
• mock
• disapproval
• put-down
• abuse
• jeer
• swipe
• vituperation
• quip
• invective
• catcall
• knock
• dishonor
• opprobrium
• torture
• torment
• slam

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• compliment
• praise
• commendation
• applause
• acclaim
• flattery
• accolade
• adulation

slight

3 of 3

verb

1

as in to insult

to cause hurt feelings or deep resentment in

the dancers felt slighted by the harsh comments of the judges

Synonyms & Similar Words

• insult
• offend
• outrage
• wound
• slap
• affront
• taunt
• upset
• disrespect
• disturb
• displease
• trouble
• hurt
• dis
• pain
• mock
• distress
• snub
• ridicule
• cut
• jeer
• malign
• torment
• disparage
• smear
• slur
• miff
• revile
• sneer (at)
• slander
• oppress
• torture
• libel
• defame
• persecute

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• approve
• applaud
• hail
• compliment
• commend
• praise
• acclaim
• flatter
• honor
• eulogize
• please
• delight
• exalt
• satisfy
• gratify
• glorify
• sweet-talk
• adulate

2

as in to isolate

to deliberately ignore or treat rudely

as a temp worker, she often feels slighted by the people she has to work with

Synonyms & Similar Words

• isolate
• stiff
• cut
• reject
• repulse
• snub
• cold-shoulder
• repel
• neglect
• forget
• overlook
• high-hat
• disdain
• stiff-arm
• rebuff
• disregard
• spurn
• scorn
• ostracize
• brush (aside or off)
• pass over
• shrug off
• overpass

3

as in to disdain

to show contempt for

music critics who slight any style of music that doesn't fit their personal taste

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disdain
• disrespect
• hate
• despise
• snub
• walk over
• look down (on or upon)
• scorn
• sniff (at)
• high-hat
• contemn
• sneeze at
• dis
• snoot
• scout
• thumb one's nose (at)
• belittle
• look down one's nose (at)
• loathe
• abhor
• detest
• disparage
• abominate
• frown (on or upon)
• disapprove (of)
• deprecate
• deplore
• discountenance
• execrate
• disfavor

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• respect
• honor
• value
• prize
• treasure
• cherish
• admire
• accept
• appreciate
• esteem
• approve (of)
• favor
• countenance
• revere
• care (for)
• subscribe (to)
• OK
• worship
• lionize
• venerate
• hallow

4

as in to ignore

to fail to give proper attention to

slighted several major authors in her survey of 20th-century fiction

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ignore
• forget
• overlook
• disregard
• neglect
• miss
• pass over
• bypass
• omit
• slur (over)
• reject
• scant
• overpass
• fail
• disdain
• shrug off
• slough (off)
• scorn
• brush (aside or off)
• sluff (off)
• skimp
• pooh-pooh

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• tend (to)
• regard
• appreciate
• attend (to)
• heed
• mind
• value
• prize
• treasure
• remember
• foster
• cultivate
• nurse
• notice
• cherish
• note
• listen (to)
• follow
• watch
• nurture
• mark
• observe
• pamper
• remark

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective slight contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of slight are slender, slim, tenuous, and thin. While all these words mean "not thick, broad, abundant, or dense," slight implies smallness as well as thinness.

a slight build

When is slender a more appropriate choice than slight?

While in some cases nearly identical to slight, slender implies leanness or spareness often with grace and good proportion.

the slender legs of a Sheraton chair

When would slim be a good substitute for slight?

The words slim and slight can be used in similar contexts, but slim applies to slenderness that suggests fragility or scantiness.

a slim volume of poetry

a slim chance

When might tenuous be a better fit than slight?

The synonyms tenuous and slight are sometimes interchangeable, but tenuous implies extreme thinness, sheerness, or lack of substance and firmness.

a tenuous thread

When is it sensible to use thin instead of slight?

The meanings of thin and slight largely overlap; however, 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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of slight

Adjective

The largest polling miss was in Texas, where polling showed Democratic Senator-elect James Talarico with a slight edge over Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton—but Talarico ended up winning by double digits. — Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Nov. 2026

There is a slight chance of rain Friday night, with a low around 34. — Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 8 Nov. 2026

Noun

In some obscure way, Shawn felt responsible for protecting the stranger against the slights of his unyielding countrymen. — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026

These slights and oversights have continued for decades, until now. — Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026

Verb

Luckily for Rhaena, Lady Jeyne is a pragmatist — and one who feels slighted by Rhaenyra. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 June 2026

Militia commanders were already feeling slighted by their British overlords, and London’s stranglehold on trade and manufacturing caused still more resentment. — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026