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Definition of slightnext
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slight

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noun

slight

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verb

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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
Massachusetts has seen a slight improvement in maintaining residents, but the Bay State remains stuck in the nation’s basement for one-way U-Haul customer transactions. Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 7 Jan. 2026 Social Security recipients in Wisconsin will see a slight bump in their January 2026 checks, thanks to the agency's annual cost-of-living adjustment. Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 6 Jan. 2026
Noun
As the plot gets moving, slights against Claire pile up quickly. Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 9 Dec. 2025 The anti-Trump drumbeat from Democrats and the left-leaning media has gotten louder over the last few months, obsessing over every little perceived slight from the president. Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 6 Dec. 2025
Verb
The head coach has seen firsthand what his former quarterback can do when he's slighted. Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025 Jones, again, slighted the punt coverage with a 61-yard return to the Carolina 14-yard line. Mike Kaye september 28, Charlotte Observer, 28 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for slight
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slight
Adjective
  • New orders contracted for a fourth month and export bookings remained weak, based on the ISM data.
    Reade Pickert Bloomberg, Arkansas Online, 6 Jan. 2026
  • Getting too little of either can lead to weak, brittle bones, and too much can also cause problems (like kidney stones or nausea).
    T'Keyah Bazin, Verywell Health, 6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • The most minor miscalculation can botch a landing.
    Marcus Thompson II, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Its versatile uses range from nourishing the lips to minor wound care—helping maintain hydration along the way.
    Kathleen Baird-Murray, Vogue, 6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Dick is sympathetic to Leroy’s perspective, noting that being Black in the military means having your personal life scrutinized, which is little comfort for Charlotte.
    Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Sketches such as last night’s Oval Office monologue compact the coal of the administration’s info dumps into little diamonds of comedy, freeing the writers and cast to pursue more escapist fare.
    Erik Adams, The Atlantic, 9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Austin Public trains those producers, who, for a nominal fee, gain access to state-of-the-art equipment, studio space and content distribution for their own work.
    Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 29 Dec. 2025
  • Academic users will be able to access the platform for a nominal fee, while biotech and pharmaceutical companies are charged an annual subscription, which gives them the right to store their data securely, as well as a relatively low per-use charge.
    Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 18 Dec. 2025
Adjective
  • The founders argue that automation should be accessible to smaller operators, including neighborhood bars and private event spaces.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 7 Jan. 2026
  • There can be 30 minutes of small waves before a sneaker wave strikes.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Weston said stripping Andrew of the medal would be an insult to those who have served in the British armed forces.
    Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025
  • In popular discourse, the word has taken on a life of its own, as an insult deployed without clear reference to any theory of psychology.
    David Merritt Johns, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • No, absolutely not, what does offend me, though, is having the poppy try be forced upon me.
    Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 8 Nov. 2025
  • When no one in the Fortune 500 wants to risk offending Trump, leave it to Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog to take care of business.
    Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Difficult Amazon logistics is no excuse Another challenge to vaccinating indigenous groups is the complicated logistics of getting shots to their territories, which are often isolated and hard to reach.
    Adriana Brasileiro, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
  • And that’s what people want at the end of the day, is someone to resonate with and not feel so alone and isolated in this world.
    McKinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 7 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Slight.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slight. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.

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