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slight

adjective

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\ ˈslīt

Definition of slight

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : having a slim or delicate build : not stout or massive in body

b : lacking in strength or substance : flimsy, frail

c : deficient in weight, solidity, or importance : trivial a slight movie

2 : small of its kind or in amount a slight chance a slight odor of gas

slight

verb

slighted; slighting; slights

Definition of slight (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to treat as slight or unimportant : make light of

2 : to treat with disdain or indifference slight a guest

3 : to perform or attend to carelessly and inadequately don't slight your work

slight

noun

Definition of slight (Entry 3 of 3)

1 : an act or an instance of slighting

2 : an instance of being slighted : a humiliating discourtesy

Other Words from slight Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Frequently Asked Questions About slight More Example Sentences Learn More about slight

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Choose the Right Synonym for slight

Adjective

thin, slender, slim, slight, tenuous mean not thick, broad, abundant, or dense. 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 slender implies leanness or spareness often with grace and good proportion. the slender legs of a Sheraton chair slim applies to slenderness that suggests fragility or scantiness. a slim volume of poetry a slim chance slight implies smallness as well as thinness. a slight build tenuous implies extreme thinness, sheerness, or lack of substance and firmness. a tenuous thread

Verb

neglect, disregard, ignore, overlook, slight, forget mean to pass over without giving due attention. neglect implies giving insufficient attention to something that merits one's attention. habitually neglected his studies disregard suggests voluntary inattention. disregarded the wishes of his family ignore implies a failure to regard something obvious. ignored the snide remark overlook suggests disregarding or ignoring through haste or lack of care. in my rush I overlooked a key example slight implies contemptuous or disdainful disregarding or omitting. slighted several major authors in her survey forget may suggest either a willful ignoring or a failure to impress something on one's mind. forget what others say

Frequently Asked Questions About slight

Is it slight or sleight of hand?

Although slight is a homophone of sleight, and feels like it makes sense in this idiom, sleight of hand is the correct form when referring to a cleverly executed trick. Sleight means "deceitful craftiness" or "stratagem," and slight means "having a slim or delicate build" (we often hear of a slim person as being "slight of build").

What is the difference between sleight and slight?

In modern use slight may be found as a noun ("a humiliating discourtesy"), a verb ("to treat as slight or unimportant"), and an adjective ("small of its kind or in amount"). Sleight is mainly found as a noun, and can refer either to a deceitful kind of craftiness, or to skill and dexterity.

"Is the correct phrase sleight chance or slight chance?"

"If you are referring to such things as your chances of winning the lottery the word you need is slight. This adjectival sense of slight is "small of its kind or in amount."

Examples of slight in a Sentence

Adjective There is a slight chance of rain. Her head is tilted at a slight angle in the picture. If you have even the slightest doubt, then don't do it. Verb I'm sure he didn't mean to slight you. He was slighted by his colleagues. Noun refused to respond to their petty slights

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Wolff, 6 feet 5 inches and 230 pounds, has a slight edge on McLaren (6-4/220) for sheer size. — Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, "Lake Tahoe could offer TV viewers a different perspective than previous outdoor games," 20 Feb. 2021 Aside from hitting all 30 of his free throws, Seth is shooting 50% on 3-pointers (41-for-82) and has a slight career edge on Steph in that department (44.7 to 43.5). — Bruce Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle, "Despite their flaws, Nets are a team that bears watching," 12 Feb. 2021 Efforts at the federal level may have more lift now with the advance of President-elect Joe Biden's more environmentally-friendly administration and the slight Democratic edge in the U.S. Senate. — Jennifer Bjorhus, Star Tribune, "Minnesota lawmakers propose ban and moratorium on copper mining," 13 Jan. 2021 Bay owned a slight 30-29 rebounding edge, but those late hustle plays pushed the Rockets. — Matt Goul, cleveland, "Second chances push Bay past Elyria, 56-52, behind Ashton Price’s 20 points," 9 Jan. 2021 For now, a slight edge goes to Wilson, a dynamic downfield thrower who frequently makes dazzling completions look easy. — Michael Middlehurst-schwartz, USA TODAY, "NFL mock draft 2021: Justin Fields, Zach Wilson among five QBs in first-round projection," 5 Jan. 2021 Give Big Ben a slight overall edge, thanks to extra dimensions in his playmaking. — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Column: Big Ben outplays Philip Rivers, leading Steelers to North-clincher," 27 Dec. 2020 As the races heat up, Perdue and Loeffler currently have a slight edge, more and more outside players are getting into the mix. — Barnini Chakraborty, Washington Examiner, "Super PACs, billionaire donors, and out-of-state interest groups flood Georgia Senate runoffs," 21 Dec. 2020 The 49ers have the coaching edge and the slight edge in talent. — Dallas News, "Expert predictions for Cowboys-49ers: Can Dallas earn its first winning streak of 2020?," 18 Dec. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The greater enhanced risk area still includes Baton Rouge, Hammond, and the rest of southwestern Louisiana, while the risk level has dropped to slight for New Orleans, Slidell and the rest of southeastern Louisiana. — Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com, "High winds, hail, tornadoes still possible for south Louisiana's New Year's Eve," 31 Dec. 2020 Elliott, who was felled by COVID-19, has listened to people wonder about his role in the Cowboys offense under Mike McCarthy for months and hear others slight his status among the league’s running back hierarchy. — David Moore, Dallas News, "After an offseason of questions, Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott says he has plenty to prove in 2020," 18 Aug. 2020 The official said that Mr. Pence was acting out of a desire to get the money out the door, not to slight Mr. Azar. — Noah Weiland, New York Times, "Coronavirus Casts Unwelcome Spotlight on Trump’s Health Secretary," 29 Apr. 2020 Some thought Fauci was slighting the president, leading to a vitriolic online reaction. — Sheera Frenkel, BostonGlobe.com, "A single gesture behind Trump fuels an online conspiracy theory," 28 Mar. 2020 Question: Is it tougher to play Cincinnati, in terms of returning phone calls and leaving tickets and not slighting people who expect a backstage pass? — Chris Varias, Cincinnati.com, "Gary Owen, the Colerain High School homecoming baby, coming home for Festival of Laughs," 27 Feb. 2020 Now the Daily Mail source claiming to be close with the couple says it’s Meghan and, by extension, Harry who feel slighted. — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, "Meghan Markle Reportedly Feels ‘Picked On’ by the Royals," 27 Feb. 2020 The man indicated that his former friend had slighted him by not attending his mother’s funeral. — cleveland, "Window smashed and items stolen from vehicle parked at the Citadel: Chagrin Falls Police Blotter," 2 Mar. 2020 After losing the first Super Bowl 35-10 to the Green Bay Packers in 1967, the Chiefs felt deeply slighted. — Bruce Jenkins, SFChronicle.com, "Remember the last time the Chiefs played in the Super Bowl? Joe Kapp does," 31 Jan. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun It is considered by many (enough people to affect a change) to be a slight to our indigenous neighbors to the north and west. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, "Recapping quite a week in the sports franchise naming game," 25 July 2020 For a show that prides itself on inclusivity -- Levy's character is in a relationship with a man for much of the series and marries him in the finale -- the role of Ray felt like a slight. — Scottie Andrew, CNN, "'Schitt's Creek' actor Rizwan Manji defends his South Asian character's accent," 30 Dec. 2020 For Dahlia, the idea of losing out on the social part of college, leaving only academics, felt like a huge letdown at first, even a personal slight, since big milestones like graduation and prom had already been canceled. — Tara Duggan, SFChronicle.com, "The silver lining of having a kid stay home for college during the pandemic," 12 Dec. 2020 Motivated by that slight, Stewart has improved every season before blossoming into a full-time starter early last year. — Jim Ayello, The Indianapolis Star, "Colts sign Grover Stewart to 3-year, $30.75 million extension," 28 Nov. 2020 Allen would not be the first coach to attempt to cultivate a perceived slight in pursuit of a bigger surprise at the end of the week. — Nathan Baird, cleveland, "Indiana’s Tom Allen on the 21-point spread against Ohio State: ‘I don’t care what anybody says about this stinking game'," 16 Nov. 2020 Regardless of whose version is closer to the truth, Metcalf used the perceived slight as extra motivation to torch the Eagles again during the Seahawks’ 23-17 win over the Eagles Monday night. — oregonlive, "Seattle Seahawks’ DK Metcalf burns the Philadelphia Eagles again after perceived pre-game slight from Eagles’ assistant coach," 1 Dec. 2020 When there was a comment made by Auburn quarterback Bo Nix perceived as a slight of Mac Jones, his star receiver stepped in. — Michael Casagrande | Mcasagrande@al.com, al, "Alabama WR fired up by perceived trash talk of Mac Jones," 29 Nov. 2020 That wasn’t a slight at Hall by the staff, but more about Hall still getting back into shape. — Cameron Teague Robinson, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville's 3-man running back rotation here to stay with Javian Hawkins gone," 25 Nov. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'slight.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.