slight
Americanadjective
-
slighter,
comparative
-
slightest
superlative
-
small in amount, degree, etc..
a slight increase;
a slight odor.
- Antonyms:
- considerable
-
of little importance, influence, etc.; trivial.
a slight cut.
- Synonyms:
- paltry, trifling, insignificant
-
slender or slim; not heavily built.
-
frail; flimsy; delicate.
a slight fabric.
-
of little substance or strength.
- Synonyms:
- inconsiderable, unsubstantial
verb (used with object)
-
slights,
present (3rd person singular)
-
slighted,
past participle, past
-
slighting
present participle
noun
-
slights
plural
-
an act or instance of slighting or being slighted.
The critics’ slights led her to change direction in her work.
- Synonyms:
- inattention, disregard, neglect
-
a pointed and contemptuous discourtesy; affront.
She considered not being invited an unforgivable slight.
adjective
-
small in quantity or extent
-
of small importance; trifling
-
slim and delicate
-
lacking in strength or substance
-
dialect ill
verb
-
to show indifference or disregard for (someone); snub
-
to treat as unimportant or trifling
-
to devote inadequate attention to (work, duties, etc)
noun
Synonym Usage
See slender. Slight, disregard, neglect, overlook mean to pay no attention or too little attention to someone or something. To slight is to give only superficial attention to something important: to slight one's work. To disregard is to pay no attention to a person or thing: to disregard the rules; in some circumstances, to disregard may be admirable: to disregard a handicap. To neglect is to shirk paying sufficient attention to a person or thing: to neglect one's correspondence. To overlook is to fail to see someone or something (possibly because of carelessness): to overlook a bill that is due. See insult.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Adjectives
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
slightsimple
-
slightssimple
-
have slightedperfect
-
has slightedperfect
-
am slightingprogressive
-
are slightingprogressive
-
is slightingprogressive
-
have been slightingperfect progressive
-
has been slightingperfect progressive
Past
-
slightedsimple
-
had slightedperfect
-
was slightingprogressive
-
were slightingprogressive
-
had been slightingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of slight
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English (adjective) “smooth, sleek, slender”; compare Old English -sliht- in eorth-slihtes “even with ground”; cognate with German schlicht, Old Norse slēttr, Gothic slaihts “smooth”
Explanation
Anything slight is very small. There's a slight chance you'll run into a celebrity in New York City — in other words, don't count on it. A slight is also an insult, like giving someone the cold shoulder. Burr. Every meaning of slight stems from the Old Norse for "small or flimsy." If you have a slight build, you're slim with small bones. A slight deviation from your plan is a tiny adjustment. As a verb, to slight means to ignore or be indifferent toward someone; it's also the noun for the act of ignoring. If you direct a movie and the star doesn't thank you in her award acceptance speech, you'll be offended at the slight.
Vocabulary lists containing slight
Some Tricky Homonyms
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Words from Shakespearean Insults
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15 Synonyms for "Thin": An Eileen Ford (1922-2014) Tribute List
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Against that backdrop, a slight shift in sentiment or questions about spending can significantly impact shares, he told MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026
Official figures showed the economy expanded by 0.1% in the month, defying analysts' expectations of a slight contraction.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
It was just the brain having a slight mouthful reaction.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
The increase in sales marks a slight rebound from August when home sales fell 3.2% from the prior month.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
I just give her a slight nod, then look away and bite my lower lip to keep from imploding.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Google researchers have worried internally about how Gemini models have fueled user delusions and advised about social relationships in a way that amplifies slights and overpraises, which can be dangerous for children.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
But Diarra’s tendency to fixate on small details and slights eventually cracked the case.
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026
This helps explain why he can’t disregard her criticism the way any normal person might shrug off slights from someone they don’t respect.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
"An overwhelming picture has emerged of your rage, anger, and volatility", said the judge, adding that George had a "pronounced temper" which could be sparked by trivial matters and "perceived slights".
From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026
Love and lives are complicated, so I will tell you only two things that happened over the next few years, though you can imagine a thousand little slights between the physician and Hassan.
From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
Vanity Fair's Richard Lawson was cooler on the film, commenting A Real Pain "is slighter than expected and is thus easily overwhelmed by Culkin’s high shtick".
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2024
Seattle-area residents may have another, albeit slighter, chance to catch a glimpse of the aurora borealis Saturday evening, the Seattle office of the National Weather Service says.
From Seattle Times ● May 11, 2024
As the storylines have become more current, they have, perhaps inevitably, become both slighter and messier.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 14, 2023
His most dramatic liberties were reined in; tempo fluctuations became slighter.
From New York Times ● Nov. 2, 2022
They are both medium height—around five feet seven—but Vincent is broader, bigger; Theo slighter, thinner.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
Mr. Weaver tends to make eye-catching statements without the slightest confirmation from primary sources.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
"I don't feel prepared in the slightest and I don't feel safe," she added.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
"Even the slightest insights from an out-of-equilibrium physics model will guide us in the future."
From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026
However, the film does have its limitations when it comes to the other wildlife, all digitally created and the CGI isn’t convincing in the slightest.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
After the slightest pause, she traces my features—tentatively, softly, barely grazing my skin.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
If questions about his presence on the team have left him feeling slighted, Freeman says he’s fueled more by the adversity he has faced than by his recent success.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
Leaving a group trip where someone feels financially slighted can lead to conflict when you get back home.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 11, 2026
Simon gave back despite feeling slighted by the school, from which he graduated with honors in 1985.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026
Judge Geraint Walters told Swansea Crown Court that Cooper appeared to have felt "slighted" after Mr Evans and his partner shared a look while his partner, Catherine Tracy Francis, was singing karaoke.
From BBC ● Jan. 3, 2025
White went out of his way so that Hale’s wife and daughter never felt slighted by prison officials.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
While having a drink in a bar shortly after arriving in Venezuela, he carelessly made a slighting comment about Simón Bolívar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
Keller and Knight were rewarded with proximity to Storrie and the best punchlines, but neither Quinn nor Jack Hughes had to indicate in any way that they had joined America’s president in slighting them.
From Salon ● Mar. 6, 2026
Having just recently arrived in town from Tulane University, newcomer Dannen may not have known he was slighting a cherished, 123-year-old regional sports tradition, but UW President Ana Mari Cauce understood.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 24, 2023
Piers Morgan, a British talk show host who never seems to tire of slighting the couple, tweeted that the interview was a “disgraceful betrayal of the Queen and the Royal Family.”
From Washington Post ● Mar. 8, 2021
I’d thought I was getting back at her for slighting me.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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