1
as in barely
by a very small margin
I thought the first one was slightly better
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in little
in a very small quantity or degree
he was slightly curious about the identity of the wine, but not enough to bother asking
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 slightly
The image is tightly cropped, the carriage wheels slightly cut off.
—
Hilton Als, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2026
Improvements included plenty of new alien ships to battle, as well as an invincibility ability for your ship to make the levels slightly less challenging.
—Daryl Baxter, Space.com, 4 Apr. 2026
The device is effectively a frictionless floating mass that moves when gravity changes slightly.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 4 Apr. 2026
The recent increase in mortgage rates adds slightly to the affordability challenge.
—Alex Veiga, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2026
That is down slightly from 2024, when first year survival rate was 83%, according to the report.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2026
Sow large seeds in slightly indented rows and cover lightly with a thin layer of the mix.
—Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
A little lower at 375°F will yield a slightly softer skin, with a creamy interior but slightly longer bake time.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 4 Apr. 2026
The tippy-top of the market saw serious traction too, with condo sales above $20 million rising 30 percent, albeit at slightly lower average prices.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2026
Hilton Als, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2026
Improvements included plenty of new alien ships to battle, as well as an invincibility ability for your ship to make the levels slightly less challenging.
—Daryl Baxter, Space.com, 4 Apr. 2026
The device is effectively a frictionless floating mass that moves when gravity changes slightly.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 4 Apr. 2026
The recent increase in mortgage rates adds slightly to the affordability challenge.
—Alex Veiga, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2026
That is down slightly from 2024, when first year survival rate was 83%, according to the report.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2026
Sow large seeds in slightly indented rows and cover lightly with a thin layer of the mix.
—Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
A little lower at 375°F will yield a slightly softer skin, with a creamy interior but slightly longer bake time.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 4 Apr. 2026
The tippy-top of the market saw serious traction too, with condo sales above $20 million rising 30 percent, albeit at slightly lower average prices.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slightly
Adverb
-
Unaccustomed to living with someone like Sprinkles, Louise was nearly moved to tears by this delivery of weeds, but Lynn had barely noticed.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The older son, Dustin, barely speaks, and baby James is wearing a grocery bag for a diaper.—
Francine Prose,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
By the end of summer 2024, there was little more to argue about how a trial should proceed; the judge had already set a trial date in January 2025.—
Joe Mahr,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
-
But some scientists are wondering whether novel or little-understood climate dynamics could help explain the length, intensity and breadth of this month’s event.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
28 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Their facility would use just 2% of a hyperscaler’s power and occupy about 2% as much space, according to the company.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2026
-
That just felt so, almost traumatizing to even imagine.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
That night, Kane was injured, and Carsley tried to pick the boldest, most talented team possible, with Jude Bellingham nominally up front, and Foden, Palmer, Gordon and Bukayo Saka in, too.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Signs would nominally point Joe.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Latz narrowly lost the battle to be the fifth starter in the rotation to right-hander Kumar Rocker in spring training.—
Jim Barnes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Long shot Wayne’s Law led early, only to be overtaken in the final turn by 6-5 favorite Nearly, who was passed in mid-stretch by The Puma, who narrowly succumbed to Commandment at the wire.—
Clark Spencer,
Miami Herald,
29 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
In other words, the chin contributes negligibly to resisting chewing forces.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
The Moon, whose magnetic field is negligibly small, does not regulate itself in this fashion at all.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
4 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Built in 2012 to replace the somewhat outdated 1960s original, and then having undergone a sweeping guest rooms renovation in 2024, this 55-story tower in the chic Yorkville neighborhood continues to nail the concept of discreet luxury.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The story begins on a train, somewhat subverts the typical strangers-on-a-train narrative in which a chance encounter leads to a love story (that is, the Linklater version rather than the Hitchcock one).—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slightly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slightly. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
