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
There are frequent passages about climate change and digital surveillance that, with slight adjustments, would not be out of place in Rich’s nonfiction. — Literary Hub, 16 July 2026 Any glares or slight changes in the atmosphere created by the solar panels could become catastrophic, resident Sam Rolph said. — Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 16 July 2026
Noun
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 Benji’s father is a volatile patriarch who grills during blizzards and hits him for failing to manfully respond to a classmate’s racist slight. — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 22 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
  • The latest appearance will do little to quell criticism of Infantino, who is standing currently unopposed for re-election as FIFA president.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 18 July 2026
  • At a press conference with Ontario Premier Doug Ford, government officials said that the fire had started unusually close to the community in Collins, leaving little time to respond.
    — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 18 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
  • The division charged with keeping a handle on parasitic diseases had already been small, with only a few employees designated to parasite work.
    — Blake Ellis, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • When states lose the authority to set their own food safety and agricultural standards, consumers and small farmers pay the price.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 19 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
  • That feels easy enough to follow, particularly when breaking the rule risks offending Zeus, the god of foreigners.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 17 July 2026
  • 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
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 25 Jul. 2026.

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