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
While typically following the third dev beta by a week, 2025 saw a slight delay. — David Phelan, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026 But temps should be in the upper 80s for the start of the match with only a slight chance of precipitation. — Dave Skretta, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2026
Noun
When planning his funeral, an unintended slight could ignite the reordering of eulogists or the dropping and replacement of a pallbearer, only for them to be brought back again days later. — Griffin Dunne, Vulture, 19 June 2026 Allen doesn’t take the omission as a slight. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 17 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
  • Still, the opposite tack—sanctions and isolation—has neither made the Iranian regime weaker nor made its behavior better.
    — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
  • And it should never be used to paper over weak management, chronic overload, or unresolved conflict.
    — Rick Tollakson, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of weak
Adjective
  • On Thursday, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office charged Ramon with lewd and lascivious acts on a minor, police said.
    — Jason Green, Mercury News, 10 July 2026
  • Many of those convicted committed only minor offenses, such as traffic violations, according to Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse.
    — Mathew Miranda July 9, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of minor
Adjective
  • There may be shitty people afoot in Independence, but not in that little house, not tonight.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 July 2026
  • The Lost Legends videos demonstrate that, as with anything artistic, the talent of creator is crucial to success in AI so, ironically, Hollywood has little to fear from the technology.
    — Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of little
Adjective
  • Their nominal wide players aren’t explosive wingers who sprint 50 yards in five seconds, but more languid players who like drifting infield and playing passing combinations.
    — Michael Cox, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • Its most common glide bomb models are the FAB-250, FAB-500, FAB-1500, and FAB-3000, where the number corresponds to the nominal weight of the bomb in kilograms.
    — Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of nominal
Adjective
  • In contrast, instruments on the FireSat satellites will be able to detect small brush and roadside fires 16 feet across.
    — Eric Niiler, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • At the Cannes Film Festival in May, the model Toni Garrn made a striking appearance in a blue-black bustier dress embroidered with small petals.
    — Amy Verner, Vogue, 6 July 2026
Definition of small
Noun
  • The insults often accompany reports and even videos of kids and teens engaging in reckless riding — weaving through traffic, running stop signs, ignoring pedestrians, and performing stunts like wheelies in opposing lanes, sometimes without helmets.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 7 July 2026
  • During the night shift at Illinois's The Wiener's Circle, sassy Poochi Rollins slings Chicago red hots loaded with mustard, relish, onions, and more—with a side of insult comedy.
    — CNT Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 July 2026
Definition of insult
Verb
  • This will cause Defender to hang and keep a lock on the offending files that holds the entire disk space.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 9 July 2026
  • The murder rate usually rises and falls alongside other crimes, so through the 2010s, with property crime and overall youth offending dropping, criminologists expected the murder trend to follow suit.
    — James Tuttle, The Conversation, 9 July 2026
Definition of offend
Verb
  • According to the researchers, toe-grip training may improve cognition by challenging you to consciously grip a part of the body that’s not routinely isolated or used.
    — Sarah Bence, Verywell Health, 7 July 2026
  • Syria was for years politically and economically isolated due to sweeping concerns about its leadership, in part for committing atrocities against its own civilians.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 7 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 12 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of slight for Spanish Speakers

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