slight
- small in amount, degree, etc.: a slight increase; a slight odor.
- of little importance, influence, etc.; trivial: a slight cut.
- slender or slim; not heavily built.
- frail; flimsy; delicate: a slight fabric.
- of little substance or strength.
- to treat as of little importance.
- to treat (someone) with indifference; ignore, especially pointedly or contemptuously; snub: to be slighted by society.
- to do negligently; scamp: to slight one's studies.
- an act or instance of slighting or being slighted: The critics’ slights led her to change direction in her work.
- a pointed and contemptuous discourtesy; affront: She considered not being invited an unforgivable slight.
Origin of slight
Synonyms
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comAntonyms
Related Words
superficialslimmeagerslendermodestnegligibletrivialminorrejectionaffrontsnubscorndisparagepettyoffscantyfatpiddlingoutsideremoteExamples from the Web for slight
Contemporary Examples
Her slight miscalculation of how to fix the situation leads to her driving around the gas pump.
Slow Motion Tiger Jump, a Tornado at the Rose Bowl and More Viral VideosThe Daily Beast Video
January 4, 2015
The traditional wisdom is “action is character,” and their evolution is one, with a slight edge to character.
He had a tailor who ran up dozens of the same suit in different sizes to account for slight variations in his weight.
Dawn was rising on November 24, 1964, and there was a slight fog but otherwise clear visibility.
Several polls over the last few months—including in early October—have showed Grimes with a slight lead over McConnell.
Historical Examples
"He was probably afraid to tell you," said Halbert, with a slight sneer.
Brave and BoldHoratio Alger
A free ticket was given to Robert in return for some slight service.
Brave and BoldHoratio Alger
Mrs. Rushton was pleased with this mark of attention, and after a slight demur, accepted.
Brave and BoldHoratio Alger
Celine stared, resting no slight weight on the hot flat-iron.
The SpendersHarry Leon Wilson
Robert glanced at Halbert's figure, slight compared with his own, and laughed.
Brave and BoldHoratio Alger
slight
- small in quantity or extent
- of small importance; trifling
- slim and delicate
- lacking in strength or substance
- Southwest English dialect ill
- to show indifference or disregard for (someone); snub
- to treat as unimportant or trifling
- US to devote inadequate attention to (work, duties, etc)
- an act or omission indicating supercilious neglect or indifference
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for slight
adj.
early 14c., "flat, smooth; hairless," probably from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse slettr "smooth, sleek," from Proto-Germanic *slikhtaz (cf. Old Saxon slicht; Low German slicht "smooth, plain common;" Old English -sliht "level," attested in eorðslihtes "level with the ground;" Old Frisian sliucht "smooth, slight," Middle Dutch sleht "even, plain," Old High German sleht, Gothic slaihts "smooth"), probably from a collateral form of PIE *sleig- "to smooth, glide, be muddy," from root *(s)lei- "slimy" (see slime (n.)).
Sense evolution probably is from "smooth" (c.1300), to "slim, slender; of light texture," hence "not good or strong; insubstantial, trifling, inferior, insignificant" (early 14c.). Meaning "small in amount" is from 1520s. Sense of German cognate schlecht developed from "smooth, plain, simple" to "bad, mean, base," and as it did it was replaced in the original senses by schlicht, a back-formation from schlichten "to smooth, to plane," a derivative of schlecht in the old sense [Klein].
v.
c.1300, "make plain or smooth," from slight (adj.) Meaning "treat with indifference" (1590s) is from the adjective in sense of "having little worth." Related: Slighted; slighting.
n.
1550s, "small amount or weight," from slight (v.). Meaning "act of intentional neglect or ignoring out of displeasure or contempt" is from 1701, probably via 17c. phrase make a slight of (1610s).
Idioms and Phrases with slight
slight
see in the least (slightest).