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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in minor
lacking importance a slight comedy that did nothing to further her career

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
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
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in small
small in degree only a slight chance of success

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to disdain
to show contempt for music critics who slight any style of music that doesn't fit their personal taste

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to ignore
to fail to give proper attention to slighted several major authors in her survey of 20th-century fiction

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 may be slight deviations from the podcast audio. —Amanda Luberto, AZCentral.com, 30 July 2025 The agency also issued forecast alerts of slight sea level changes for the rest of Japan’s coastline. —Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 30 July 2025
Noun
Colbert — and this isn’t meant as a slight — seemed to simply enjoy doing the job as a talk show host in the studio every night to the best of his ability. —James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 18 July 2025 Over-Personalization And Triangulation Narcissists tend to view neutral incidents as personal slights. —Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
Verb
Plus, an in-demand restaurant at capacity might not feel particularly motivated to go above and beyond to satisfy a diner who feels slighted by their subpar table. —Maggie Hennessy, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025 Was slighting the defense to improve the offense worth risking a miss on several top defensive prospects? —Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2025 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
  • This downward movement was attributed to both weak job figures and a new round of U.S. tariffs announced by Trump.
    — Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Aug. 2025
  • Last month and August 2024 also saw a weak start, so this comes as no surprise.
    — Billy Bambrough, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2025
Definition of weak
Adjective
  • More Songs is, in effect, Eno’s debut as a capital-P producer, notwithstanding some minor early efforts and, of course, David Bowie’s landmark sessions for Low and Heroes.
    — Will Hermes, Rolling Stone, 26 July 2025
  • The club insisted Isak was left behind because of a minor thigh problem but The Athletic reported on Thursday sources, speaking anonymously as they were not authorised to do so publicly, indicated the forward favoured being omitted amid his uncertain future.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 26 July 2025
Definition of minor
Adjective
  • Since all the council members sit on the budget committee that voted and heard budget, little, if anything, in the budget is expected to change.
    — Scott Wartman, The Enquirer, 30 July 2025
  • The 2023 impeachment trial of Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, who was acquitted in a Senate impeachment trial on a range of charges including bribery and abuse of office, appeared to have done little to undermine his standing among voters.
    — John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
Definition of little
Adjective
  • Entry is for members only but available for a nominal fee.
    — Susan Stapleton, The Tennessean, 31 July 2025
  • Allensworth said her team performed more than 60 official mission simulations, both with nominal and off-nominal situations to best equip the autonomous lunar lander for unforeseeable circumstances.
    — Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
Definition of nominal
Adjective
  • Bringing bold wallpaper into a small space can be a fun way to add a bit of a ‘wow’ factor, and that is precisely what Laws did in this 40-square-foot half-bath.
    — Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, 25 July 2025
  • In a small bowl, combine the softened butter and garlic and mix well.
    — Robin Miller, AZCentral.com, 25 July 2025
Definition of small
Noun
  • To say that a two-hour daily commute both ways from Fredericksburg, Va., to Towson will not have any impact on her performance is arrogant on its face and an insult to those (voters) who have to hear it.
    — Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 2 Aug. 2025
  • Dimon and Trump have scuffled over multiple topics over the years, and the insults have been personal.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 31 July 2025
Definition of insult
Verb
  • The alchemist, offended, replies, my job was the engineering, not the economics.
    — Michael Lynch, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
  • President Donald Trump has already silenced ABC, CBS, and Facebook, extorting millions of dollars from them for offending him.
    — Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
Definition of offend
Verb
  • The church's chef, Odeh, gave a small speech, telling students this community is an act of defiance in itself for all those who want to separate and isolate the others.
    — Lily Kepner, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
  • They can be used to enforce least privilege, restrict destructive actions, and isolate misconfigured services—all without requiring code changes.
    — Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
Definition of isolate

Browse Nearby Words

sliding
slight
slighted
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Slight.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slight. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on slight

Nglish: Translation of slight for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Better Ways to Say 'This Sucks'

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
iykyk if you know you know slang written in a neon
Quiz: Abbreviation Station TFW you have to figure out what 15 abbreviations ...
See All