slightly

adverb

Definition of slightlynext
1
as in barely
by a very small margin I thought the first one was slightly better

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in little
in a very small quantity or degree he was slightly curious about the identity of the wine, but not enough to bother asking

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 slightly Roan also adds an new verse to the song, slightly changing the lyrics to reference a mediocre female suitor alongside Rodrigo’s original lines. — Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2026 Montana's 1st District is slightly less Republican overall than the state, which voted for Trump by double digits in each of his three presidential campaigns. — Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026 When the device rotates, the frequencies of these signals shift slightly relative to each other. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026 The percentage of showrunners ticked up slightly but also demonstrates how underrepresented women and nonbinary and trans people remain in the role (this latest season 31 identified in that category, as opposed to the previous season’s 29). — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026 However, this new research suggests that this slightly bland and uniform appearance is because no white dwarf is close enough for Earthbound astronomers to see their true colors. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 15 Oct. 2026 The wide leg and mid-rise waist create a flattering silhouette, and the slightly stretchy fabric moves with your body without losing its shape. — Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Oct. 2026 The agency also reported that the number of parking tickets issued increased slightly, rising from 455 to 457 per month despite enforcement days being cut in half. — Allen Devlin, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026 Republicans were slightly more inclined to approve, with 34 percent arguing it should be livestreamed, but even there, an overwhelming 64 percent disagreed. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 15 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slightly
  1. barely
  2. little
  3. just
  4. nominally
  5. narrowly
  6. negligibly
  7. somewhat
Adverb
  • Shakir was streaking down the left sideline when Kam Kinchens dove and just barely was able to swipe at Shakir’s feet, causing the receiver to go down.
    — Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026
  • When an agent does all of it, the brand barely meets the shopper.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of barely
Adverb
  • And that, with fits and starts, ups and downs, changed little over roughly 90 years.
    — John E. McDonough, STAT, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Until its summer blockbuster IPO, CXMT was little known outside of its home market.
    — Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of little
Adverb
  • The questions came after Zacharia made a brief debut to the media on Tuesday, taking just three questions from reporters after reading off a script.
    — Michael Birnbaum The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Genetic comparisons revealed that deep-sea viral communities in the region are almost entirely unique, with just 4 percent of their protein clusters matching global databases.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of just
Adverb
  • According to court records, the club was owned by Denning Enterprises, a holding company nominally owned by Denning’s wife but controlled by Denning, from the 1990s until it was sold in January 2025.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Assuming the third spacecraft launches nominally, all three will come down before Christmas in the Koonibba Test Range in the South Australian Outback, through coordination with Varda's long-time space-mission service provider, Southern Launch.
    — Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of nominally
Adverb
  • The effect was clear in Nevada’s 2024 Senate race, which Democrats narrowly won as nearly 5 percent of voters picked a candidate outside the two major parties.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Polling is sparse, but Hamilton has narrowly led several polls released over the past month.
    — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of narrowly
Adverb
  • In an economy where wages are anchored to what compute would cost to replicate human work, human labor becomes economically marginal—not worthless, but negligibly small relative to the overall pie.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2026
  • In other words, the chin contributes negligibly to resisting chewing forces.
    — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Definition of negligibly
Adverb
  • Countries that are somewhat insulated from the energy shocks of the Iran war and that are benefiting from rapid adoption of AI are managing to keep growth on track.
    — Elaine Kurtenbach, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026
  • American Horror Story is on a generational run this season, bringing back beloved characters from the show’s past 12 installments and throwing them together in somewhat random configurations that still never fail to please me.
    — Emma Specter, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of somewhat

Browse Nearby Words

slighting
slightly
slightness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Slightly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slightly. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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