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slight 1 of 3

adjective

ˈslīt How to pronounce slight (audio)
Definition of slightnext
1
as in weak
lacking bodily strength a small lad with a slight build

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2
as in minor
lacking importance a slight comedy that did nothing to further her career

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3
as in little
of a size that is less than average the slight youth packed a surprisingly solid punch

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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

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5
as in small
small in degree only a slight chance of success

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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

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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

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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

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3
as in to disdain
to show contempt for music critics who slight any style of music that doesn't fit their personal taste

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4
as in to ignore
to fail to give proper attention to slighted several major authors in her survey of 20th-century fiction

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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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of slight
Adjective
Traders are still betting on a slight chance that the Federal Reserve could hold off on hiking interest rates, though. — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026 Even so, using the weekly values is a slight departure from the norm. — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026
Noun
But the Hornets will embrace this projection as a slight as the team with the most to prove. — Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 22 July 2026 On Thursday, July 2, the evening before the wedding, Gomez wore a strapless black dress with a thigh-high slight by the same dress designer for Swift and Kelce's rehearsal dinner at Madison Square Garden. — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 4 July 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 See All Example Sentences for slight
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slight
  1. weak
  2. minor
  3. little
  4. nominal
  5. small
  6. insult
  7. offend
  8. isolate
Adjective
  • But the White House Correspondents’ Dinner has devolved significantly since its glory days atop the comedy calendar, proving to be a weaker platform for political satire than the Onion’s takeover of Infowars.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Production disruptions and weak output in Chile, the world’s biggest producer, sent prices to record highs, with the US accumulating huge stockpiles and smelters in China forced to turn to scraps to meet that country’s industrial needs.
    — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of weak
Adjective
  • But there’s no reason for alarm; none of the pitchers drafted by the Marlins in July were used in a minor-league game.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The front camera uses a 135-degree field of view, which introduces minor edge distortion, but that's the price for capturing a broad swath of the road ahead.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of minor
Adjective
  • If that prediction misses, then manufacturers have little opportunity to change course.
    — Sally C. Pipes, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • But my little Outlander sweeties, this is not just any reverend, this is Reverend Wakefield.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of little
Adjective
  • Patients in Medicaid, the state- and federally-funded program for people with low incomes, already pay a nominal co-payment of a few dollars to fill their prescriptions, but lower prices could help state budgets that fund the programs.
    — Fatima Hussein, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
  • But recent wars have exposed the gap between nominal power and usable military capability.
    — NADIA SCHADLOW, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of nominal
Adjective
  • Rooms This is a big hotel, with 177 rooms and suites that range in size and shape from the smallest superior rooms to the impressive top-floor penthouse.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Newsom, in his veto message at the time, cited concerns about stifling innovation and said smaller AI models, which would have been exempt from the law, could also be dangerous.
    — Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of small
Noun
  • This is on top of Perez Hilton and plenty of other sites (Gawker included) that would just flat-out insult people, draw nasty things on their pictures, and just generally malign them.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Reclaiming the work of women selling fish, and the word that was an insult but is now a beautiful brand, is a wonderful turn of phrase and time, to us.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of insult
Verb
  • Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who is standing just steps away from the mayor at the ceremony, said that Mamdani’s presence would offend him.
    — Miles J. Herszenhorn, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026
  • For that, their game — analyzing randomness and violence and doing so without offending our intelligence — has become as important to the American audience as The Game.
    — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of offend
Verb
  • Deep Isolation was responsible for studying how recycling waste could be packaged and permanently isolated underground.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Investigators described the incident as isolated and indicated there was no ongoing threat to the community, the police statement said.
    — Bryan Lynn, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of isolate

Browse Nearby Words

sliding
slight
slighted
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Slight.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slight. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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