slight 1 of 4

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as in little
of a size that is less than average the slight youth packed a surprisingly solid punch

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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slight

2 of 4

noun (1)

slight

3 of 4

verb

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slightness

4 of 4

noun (2)

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as in lightness
the state or quality of having little weight his slightness will serve him well if he ever decides to become a jockey

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in negligibility
the quality or state of being unimportant most moviegoers were not in the least bothered by the slightness of the plot—they were there for the special effects in any event

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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 slight
Adjective
According to the site, reports peaked at over 2,800 at around noon ET on Friday, with a slight decrease in reports an hour later. Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 16 May 2025 There are some slight design differences between them (the 16S has a rear thermal block that's missing on the V 16S), and the 16S tops out at an RTX 5070 Ti while the V 16S only goes up to an RTX 5070. Matthew Buzzi, PC Magazine, 16 May 2025
Noun
Wall Street’s biggest firms on Friday attempted the tricky two-step of revealing the toll of President Trump’s whiplash tariff policy without outright criticizing a man who has repeatedly tangled with the financial industry for slights both real and imagined. Rob Copeland, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025 For some, this seems like a slight to UConn, who recently won the Big East tournament title for the 12th year in a row to complement their regular season title. Allison Smith, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
Verb
Known for unmercifully calling out machismo through her music, Paquita became a guiding light for many women who have been wronged or slighted by their partners, or a patriarchal world. Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2025 Each man feels insulted and slighted by the other; both have cause for resentment. Rachel Hadas, The Conversation, 5 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for slight
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slight
Adjective
  • And, in the long run, economists say that will translate to a weaker economy and a lower standard of living.
    Matt Egan, CNN Money, 22 May 2025
  • The grand jury also criticizes city officials for weak oversight and enforcement of their contract with the Humane Society, which requires the nonprofit to enforce leash laws at 400 city parks and other venues.
    David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • In some cases, lawyers said students had their legal statuses altered for minor traffic violations, such as unpaid parking tickets.
    Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 16 May 2025
  • Nina and Jim are forced to work overtime to re-center key story components that get lost amid more minor twists and turns.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 15 May 2025
Adjective
  • The musical features a scene about little Sarah making her joke about Jeffrey’s death and no one laughing.
    Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 18 May 2025
  • When Carter was little, his mother always included him in her life, as Anderson told PEOPLE in 2016.
    Julie Tremaine, People.com, 18 May 2025
Adjective
  • Here’s why: Although technical specifications are still being worked out, the new standard could deliver nominal peak data rates of more than 40Gbps.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 20 May 2025
  • The main question of contemporary cinema isn’t (pace the nominal avant-garde) whether to tell a story but what story to tell, how to tell it, and, for that matter, what a story is.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 20 May 2025
Adjective
  • Pay Attention to Heavy Metals Some chocolate contains small amounts of cadmium and lead—and dark chocolate tends to be the bigger offender.
    Sherri Gordon, Health, 26 May 2025
  • The second season of HBO's zombie smash ends with battles both big and small, a major death, and a time rewind.
    Sara Netzley, EW.com, 26 May 2025
Verb
  • After Trump initially insulted Springsteen and Swift on May 16, the American Federation of Musicians International stepped up to defend the artists.
    Anna Chan, Billboard, 21 May 2025
  • The young adults had been insulting each other over text messages in an argument over a girl.
    Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 May 2025
Verb
  • He is isolated in Sweden — far away from coaching candidates, far away from Penguins assistant GM Jason Spezza — left to find his next coach on a schedule six hours ahead of Eastern Time.
    Josh Yohe, New York Times, 19 May 2025
  • Extreme anxiety and extreme depression is isolating.
    Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 18 May 2025
Verb
  • Perhaps no other American statesman has ever disdained the role of idealism in foreign policy—the meddling of human-rights activists and democracy crusaders—quite like Kissinger.
    Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 1 May 2025
  • The Minervois is a sunny land of black truffles, red marble, oak and juniper forests and castles constructed by Cathars (pescatarian Christians who disdained the symbol of the cross, were branded as heretics and subsequently slaughtered wholesale by Papal decree in the 13th century).
    Tom Mullen, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Slight.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slight. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

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