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
Their 2025 performances raised questions Sellers saw dips in completion percentage, passing efficiency, yards per play, off-target percentage and touchdowns and a slight uptick in his interception rate. — Sam Khan Jr, New York Times, 24 July 2026 If either one of those two stumble, the Giants have a chance at a second place finish and slight playoff contention. — Darren Cooper, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Noun
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 Instead of demanding personal fealty or humiliating them to assert personal dominance, Lincoln absorbed their egos and occasional slights, elevating their talents and turning his fiercest political adversaries into his most devoted champions. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 24 June 2026
Verb
Santa Clara’s Levi Stadium got particularly slighted, with nobody in the top 18 of the FIFA world rankings for any of its five group stage dates. — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 May 2026 He’s further slighted after the Emperor commissions him to remake one of his old operas so audiences might remember the country’s past successes. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 8 May 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
  • Even durable bouclé material won’t save a sofa built on a weak foundation.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026
  • Further, the hinge mechanism provides a bit more assistance, and the magnets are a bit weaker, reducing the force needed to open the phone by half.
    — Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 22 July 2026
Definition of weak
Adjective
  • Alongside Sneed, Beasley, who sustained a minor lower-body injury late but remained in the game, finished with 16 points.
    — Christian Marshall, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026
  • At the tag end of the episode, Bernthal and Holland are filming B-roll footage for the episode’s outro when Holland has a coughing fit that results in a minor case of puking.
    — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 23 July 2026
Definition of minor
Adjective
  • Sheinbaum has said that little evidence has emerged to substantiate claims of cartels interfering with elections, and noted that a state-level electoral tribunal ratified Rocha’s win in Sinaloa, after examining reports of irregularities.
    — Mary Beth Sheridan, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
  • Music, Fashion, Film wants little to do with 2024’s accessible dance-pop and persistent focus on branding.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 24 July 2026
Definition of little
Adjective
  • Current bond yields, which tend to track nominal GDP trends, are still reflecting the rise in inflation that occurred during Covid.
    — Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 20 July 2026
  • The walls had a nominal utility as fences for the dairy herd that was milked in the great white cow barn, but this was only ever a Gilded Age fantasy of the rustic idyll.
    — Matt Seaton, The Atlantic, 19 July 2026
Definition of nominal
Adjective
  • Choose one grounding task, one budget-friendly move, and one small boundary.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 July 2026
  • If reliable payment flows depend on a small number of large miners or dedicated pools, Bitcoin payments could become faster and more commercial, but also more dependent on specific infrastructure providers.
    — Sean Lee, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of small
Noun
  • The list of insults faced by those of us trying to live here is pretty lengthy already.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 21 July 2026
  • Supporters embraced the insult as a badge of resistance, turning it into a satirical political campaign that amassed more than 21 million Instagram followers in a few days.
    — Aijaz Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2026
Definition of insult
Verb
  • And yet, Paul can’t help but impose and offend, making even his expertise in home security sickeningly useless.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 22 July 2026
  • The idea that people who lived in small states should enjoy more power than people who lived in large states offended Madison and Hamilton’s sense of justice.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 22 July 2026
Definition of offend
Verb
  • Hospitals there were overwhelmed, and many families lacked running water or space to isolate sick relatives.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 21 July 2026
  • Instead, isolate it in a separate room—or at least several feet away from other plants—for two to four weeks.
    — Colleen Sullivan, Martha Stewart, 21 July 2026
Definition of isolate

Browse Nearby Words

sliding
slight
slighted
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Cite this Entry

“Slight.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slight. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of slight for Spanish Speakers

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