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
The forecast will remain mostly dry, with slight chances of rain entering the forecast Wednesday and Thursday. — Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026 This is why the company’s total revenue in the quarter showed a slight year-over-year decline. — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 30 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
Romano’s sturdy book may not stint on examples of Mary’s bad behavior—including a ferociously jealous verbal assault, near the end of the war, on the wife of a prominent Union general—but the biographer keeps tilting against those who slighted Mary in even the most superficial ways. — Thomas Mallon, New Yorker, 18 May 2026 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 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
  • Similar to Spokane, the windiest periods will be during the daytime from Friday through Sunday, with weaker winds each night.
    — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The next step came in 2009, when mathematicians Jordan Ellenberg, Akshay Venkatesh and Craig Westerland posted a preprint paper that claimed to prove a weaker version of the conjecture for every prime.
    — Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of weak
Adjective
  • Advertising, a minor revenue stream before 2024, is expected to grow to around 15% of revenue by 2028.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The plane sustained minor damage but landed safely at Hannover Airport instead.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of minor
Adjective
  • Orlando’s best chance of the first half came in the 31st minute when Simone Jackson hit the crossbar, but the Pride managed little else going forward and went into the break trailing.
    — Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Aug. 2026
  • An apologetic statement this week and commitment to not letting history repeat itself has, though, done little to placate the intensifying scrutiny of his leadership.
    — Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of little
Adjective
  • For now, the aftermarket pays nominal registry fees to officially access the manufacturers’ secure gateways.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Aug. 2026
  • As a base rate, the S&P grows earnings approximately 6% a year, in line with historical nominal GDP growth.
    — Timothy P. Beyer, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of nominal
Adjective
  • They were first popularized in Georgian England as small tokens of affection, infatuation or mourning, and examples are scattered across major museums such as the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
    — Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Potential monetary policy task force recommendations may involve less transparent communication, a smaller balance sheet with stability risks, and inflation metrics that produce a lower reading.
    — David Zhang, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of small
Noun
  • Several celebrities and their PR teams have denounced Perez for his viscous public insults, from Khloe Kardashian, Miley Cyrus, and Lady Gaga, a former friend of Perez.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026
  • In recent years, Georgia’s State Election Board has been plagued by infighting, feuds, insults, partisan maneuvering and out-and-out shouting matches.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of insult
Verb
  • She’s seen students disappointed by the state’s rejection of an AP African American history course and English teachers strategically pick books that wouldn’t offend the governor’s sensibilities.
    — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The relationship between the board and the community has gotten so contentious that Licata told the hundreds in attendance at an April board meeting that comments made toward the board offended him.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of offend
Verb
  • Instead, decouple your crypto boundaries and isolate cryptography to dedicated gateways.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Taylor had a good practice, including a win in pass protection while isolated on Mesidor in 11-on-11.
    — Daniel Popper, New York Times, 4 Aug. 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 9 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of slight for Spanish Speakers

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