slight 1 of 3

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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

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noun

slight

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verb

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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
Adjective
  • Those weak harvests, in turn, are due to drought and high temperatures and more generally climate change, which has negatively impacted coffee harvests for several years.
    Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 21 July 2025
  • Witness the rally in the railroads last week that crushed shorts banking on weaker transport earnings.
    Jim Cramer, CNBC, 21 July 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
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
Adjective
  • In a small bowl, combine the softened butter and garlic and mix well.
    Robin Miller, AZCentral.com, 25 July 2025
  • Beyond providing an invitation for music-curious Austinites to come explore the clubs, the festival offers a lifeline to musicians and venues during the slow summer season, when small clubs that support emerging artists face some of their greatest challenges.
    Mars Salazar, Austin American Statesman, 25 July 2025
Noun
  • And the gratuitous insults—to NATO allies, the European Union, the BRICs, the United Nations, or the World Health Organization—continue to flow from the president.
    MARGARET MACMILLAN, Foreign Affairs, 21 July 2025
  • The Steals and Deals segment on the WFTV newscasts are annoying and an insult to the viewers!
    Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 July 2025
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
Verb
  • In response, the city's IT systems were shut down on July 28 to isolate the city's infrastructure from potential damage, according to Mayor Melvin Carter.
    Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 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

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Cite this Entry

“Slight.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slight. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.

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