Dictionary

slight en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /slɑɪt/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
• [sl̥ɐɪt] (Canada, US)
• /slaːt/ African-American, General South African
• (US) audio
• [sl̥əɪ̯t] (Canada, US)
• [slɑjt] (British, Southern, Standard)
• /slɒɪt/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
• /slaɪt/
• slīt

Etymology

From Middle English slight (“bad, of poor quality, unimportant, trivial, slender, slim, smooth, level”), from Old English sliht (“smooth, level”), from Proto-Germanic *slihtaz (“slippery, flat, level, plain”), related to English slick. Cognate with Scots slicht (“bad, of poor quality”), West Frisian sljocht (“smooth, level, plain, simple”), Dutch slecht (“bad”), Low German slecht (“bad”), German schlecht (“bad”) and schlicht (“plain, artless, natural”), Danish slet (“bad, evil, poor, nasty, wrong”), Swedish slät (“smooth”), Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk slett (“even”), Icelandic sléttur (“even, smooth, level”).

Meanings

1. Minor; small in amount
   • The forecast calls for a slight warming trend in the coming days, with sunny skies and daytime temperatures reaching the midteens on Sunday and Monday, when the men will hit the snowboard course. 2022 February 4, John Branch, “U.S. snowboarder Jamie Anderson qualifies for the slopestyle final.”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 29 Nov 2022:
2. Minor; small in amount ▸ Gentle or weak, not aggressive or powerful.
   • a slight effort
   • give it a slight kick
   • Mother very rightly resented the slightest hint of condescension. She considered that the exclusiveness of Peter's circle was due not to its distinction, but to the fact that it was an inner Babylon of prodigality and whoredom,[…]. 1921, Ben Travers, chapter 2, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC:
   • a slight (i.e. not convincing) argument
   • a slight hint of cinnamon
   • Even though there is slight quality variation between the long and short versions of Arabic vowels, the variation is rarely noticeable even by some phoneticians; hence, it does not amount to a source of even phonetic accent except for those learners of Arabic whose language has a strictly centrifugal vowel system such as Spanish, Italian, Tagalog, among others. 2014, Edward Y. Odisho, “Some Primary Sources of Accent Generation in the Pronunciation of Arabic by Native Speakers of English”, in Mediterranean Language Review, volume 21, →DOI, page 100 of 91–104:
3. Minor; small in amount ▸ Not thorough; superficial.
   • make a slight examination
4. Minor; small in amount ▸ Trifling; unimportant; insignificant.
   • we made a slight mistake
   • Slight is the subject, but not so the praise. 1714, Alexander Pope, “The Rape of the Lock”, in The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintot, […], published 1717, →OCLC, canto I:
   • Some firmly embrace doctrines upon slight grounds. 1741, John Locke, Some Thoughts Concerning Education & of the Conduct of the Understanding:
   • a slight pain
5. (archaic, rare) Minor; small in amount ▸ Not far away in space or time.
   • in the slight future
6. Of slender build.
   • his own figure, which was formerly so slight 1822, Sir Walter Scott, Peveril of the Peak:
   • a slight but graceful woman
   • But now, ten years later, after his recent shipwreck, he cannot compete as a runner, though he can outthrow the slighter Phaeacians with the heaviest discus. 2002, Eva Brann, Homeric Moments, page 48:
7. (regional) Even, smooth or level.
   • A slight stone
8. (especially, said of the sea) Still; with little or no movement on the surface.
   • The sea was slight and calm
9. (obsolete) Foolish; silly; not intellectual.
   • But no beast ever was so slight, For man, as for his god, to fight; They have more wit, alas! and know Themselves and us better than so. 1859, Samuel Butler, Hudibras, Canto 1, lines 781-784:
10. (obsolete, regional) Bad, of poor quality.
    • 1889 (first published), George Washington, Writings we frequently have slight Goods and sometimes old and unsaleable Articles
11. (dated) Slighting; treating with disdain.
    • This slight way of treating both his book and his ancestors nettled little Puddock – who never himself took a liberty, and expected similar treatment – but he knew Sturk, the nature of the beast, and he only bowed grandly […] 1863, Sheridan Le Fanu, The House by the Churchyard:

Forms

Deriveds

overslight · slighting · slightish · slighten · slightly · slightful · slightness

Synonyms

two-bit · punk · unimportant · piteous · dull-headed · negligible · wretched · trash · tin-pot · fatuous · slight · pitiful · tiny · dismissive · insipient · contumelious · flat · floccinaucinihilipilificatious · like a fart in a windstorm · foolish · low-grade · slick · vain · flat · piddling · poor man's · tiny · ignorable · cheapshit · chintzy · pathetic · pissant · tin-pot · contemptuous · second-rate · under par · slender · scrubby · minor · god-awful · slick · stupid · deprecative · scornful · indifferent · simple · inconsequential · gaunt · negligible · lithe · low · worthless · pound-shop · piddly · simple · slim · picayunish · worthless · inferior · pissass · shitty · ignorable · slight · trifling · pitiful · immaterial · futile · foolish · slight · ass · woeful · immaterial · like a fart in a windstorm · slow-witted · idle · tiny · nothingburger · tin-pot · loony · miserable · trivial · nondescript · silklike · petty · base · inconsiderable · dim-headed · unimportant · frivolous · pissant · like a fart in a windstorm · lank · wool-headed · unsage · woolly-headed · picayune · slight · leansome · indifferent · scornful · cruddy · made in China · insignificant · petty · cheap · paltry · bottom-shelf · trivial · pointless · piteous · below par · rinky-dink · disdainful · silky · thick · flimsy · blistering · fourth-rate · crapperific · gauvison · poor · miserable · ignorable · negligible · frivolous · negligible · futile · pitiful · base · naughty · svelte · gracile · piddling · negligible · smooth · cheap and nasty · slazy · null · insignificant · piddling · ropy · balmy · low-quality · simple · softheaded · frivolous · vain · for the birds · woolly-minded · miserable · dense · petty · picayune · null · goofy · sneaking · base · minor · trifling · silly · unimportant · foolish · ticky-tacky · null · BTEC · idle · nondescript · wretched · crappy · base · immaterial · unimportant · sleek · dim-witted · meager · schlocky · soft in the head · lousy · crackpot · pissass · vain · piddling · unimportant · swack · lanate · immaterial · paltry · shoddy · slight · inconsequential · paltry · petty · negligible · trivial · slight · nondescript · shoddy · fatuous · two-bit · foolish · even · nothingburger · low-rent · miserable · vain · level · ignorable · silly · silly · worthless · crap · contemptible · pissant · contemptuous · miserable · piddly · crappo · frivolous · pointless · insignificant · inconsiderable · sleek · futile · unwise · piddling · velutinous · inconsequential · trivial · lousy · simple · meager · disdainful · nothingburger · nondescript · tiny · lean · velvety · garbage · pointless · for the birds · craptacular · futile · dopey · floccinaucinihilipilificatious · ticky-tacky · pointless · idle · pitiful · simple · paltry · silly · sad · trashy · naive · slinky · pitiful · pissass · slim · dull-witted · meaningless · silly · picayune · crummy · disrespectful · futile · unweighty · ignorable · piddly · gash · ticky-tacky · immaterial · minor · unweighty · craptastic · contemptible · mean · substandard · ignorable · craptabulous · belittling · negligible · lissome · idle · trivial · unweighty · inconsequential · pissass · bum · fuzzy-headed · lithe · meager · piddly · ticky-tacky · picayune · barmy · nothingburger · paltry · one-star · picayunish · bedaft · sottish · dumb · simple · pissass · like a fart in a windstorm · lithesome · ignorable · ignorable · tin-pot · meaningless · idle · piteous · downy · idiotic · nondescript · base · shite · slight · silly · tiny · slight · glassy · negligible · indifferent · inconsiderable · bad · subpar · piddly · soft in the head · svelte · floccinaucinihilipilificatious · picayunish · piteous · silken · scathing · nothingburger · drecky · two-bit · ignorable · coffee-and · contemptible · negligible · ticky-tacky · willowy · tin-pot · willowy · unweighty · mookish · mid · frivolous · tenth-rate · wretched · slight · idle · worthless · derogative · slight · tin-pot · floccinaucinihilipilificatious · negligible · for the birds · insignificant · shit · ticky-tacky · contemptible · daft · indifferent · wretched · unweighty · meaningless · for the birds · duncical · ignorable · inconsiderable · sneerful · meaningless · foolish · worthless · daft · like a fart in a windstorm · trifling · low · base · petty · two-bit · derpy · fuzzy-minded · frictionless · picayune · null · pissant · third-rate · despising · withering · inconsequential · sylphlike · mean · mean · mean · for the birds · wretched · trifling · picayunish · inconsiderable · minor · sniffy · two-bit · dogwater · slighting · pissant · pointless · picayunish · indifferent · rubbish · asinine · null · cheesy · flimsy · trifling · mean · floccinaucinihilipilificatious · vain · insignificant · contemptible · meaningless · meager · minor · meager · wretched · rangy · piteous

Translations (106)

ko 약간의 (small in amount, insignificant) · de wenig (small in amount, insignificant) · hu ócska (of poor quality) · sh bȅznačājan (small in amount, insignificant) · it debole (small in amount, insignificant) · hu kevés (small in amount, insignificant) · de geringfügig (small in amount, insignificant) · fi vieno (small in amount, insignificant) · sv obetydlig (small in amount, insignificant) · uk слабкий (small in amount, insignificant) · de gering (small in amount, insignificant) · hu lapos (even, smooth or level) · hu kecses (not stout or heavy; slender) · cs drobný (small in amount, insignificant) · it insignificante (small in amount, insignificant) · pl drobny (small in amount, insignificant) · de dumm (weak in intellect) · cmn 輕微的 /轻微的 (small in amount, insignificant) · hu buta (weak in intellect) · mi pūhihi (not stout or heavy; slender) · cs maličký (small in amount, insignificant) · hu csekély (small in amount, insignificant) · fi heikkolaatuinen (of poor quality) · de gebrechlich (not stout or heavy; slender) · es leve (small in amount, insignificant) · fi pieni (small in amount, insignificant) · de leicht (small in amount, insignificant) · es insignificante (small in amount, insignificant) · ja 軽微な (small in amount, insignificant) · ja 僅な (small in amount, insignificant) · hu filigrán (not stout or heavy; slender) · fi hienoinen (small in amount, insignificant) · cs nepatrný (small in amount, insignificant) · hu vékony (not stout or heavy; slender) · de schmächtig (not stout or heavy; slender) · es ligero (small in amount, insignificant) · pt insignificante (small in amount, insignificant) · hi थोड़ा (small in amount, insignificant) · eo eta (small in amount, insignificant) · hu kevéske (small in amount, insignificant) · de minderbemittelt (weak in intellect) · bg малък (small in amount, insignificant) · hu törékeny (not stout or heavy; slender) · de glatt (even, smooth or level) · pt ligeiro (small in amount, insignificant) · de klein (small in amount, insignificant) · de schwach (small in amount, insignificant) · de billig (of poor quality) · hu sima (even, smooth or level) · de unerheblich (small in amount, insignificant) · de schlank (small in amount, insignificant) · ca dèbil (small in amount, insignificant) · de einfach gestrickt (weak in intellect) · sh бе̏знача̄јан (small in amount, insignificant) · it leggero (small in amount, insignificant) · de einfach (weak in intellect) · de schlank (not stout or heavy; slender) · de minderwertig (of poor quality) · fi sileä (even, smooth or level) · de dünn (not stout or heavy; slender) · de unwichtig (small in amount, insignificant) · nl onbeduidend (small in amount, insignificant) · uk легкий (small in amount, insignificant) · hu ostoba (weak in intellect) · fi lievä (small in amount, insignificant) · es lene (small in amount, insignificant) · fi pintapuolinen (small in amount, insignificant) · ru незначи́тельный (small in amount, insignificant) · de schlecht (of poor quality) · hu jelentéktelen (small in amount, insignificant) · de einfach (of poor quality) · fi hoikka (not stout or heavy; slender) · hu együgyű (weak in intellect) · hu silány (of poor quality) · la sublestus (small in amount, insignificant) · de unbedeutend (small in amount, insignificant) · fi kehno (of poor quality) · de gleichmäßig (even, smooth or level) · hu hitvány (of poor quality) · ar طَفِيف (small in amount, insignificant) · bg слаб (not stout or heavy; slender) · pl mały (small in amount, insignificant) · bg тънък (not stout or heavy; slender) · de zart (not stout or heavy; slender) · fi tasainen (even, smooth or level) · es lieve (small in amount, insignificant) · fi heikkomielinen (weak in intellect) · fr léger (small in amount, insignificant) · fi välitön (small in amount, insignificant) · fi vähäinen (small in amount, insignificant) · bg гладък (even, smooth or level) · fi huono (of poor quality) · ja 些細な (small in amount, insignificant) · ja 末梢的な (small in amount, insignificant) · de schlicht (weak in intellect) · ja つまらない (small in amount, insignificant) · ca feble (small in amount, insignificant) · uk незначний (small in amount, insignificant) · fr insignifiant (small in amount, insignificant) · pt leve (small in amount, insignificant) · de eben (even, smooth or level) · hu karcsú (not stout or heavy; slender) · bg незначителен (small in amount, insignificant) · fi heikko (small in amount, insignificant) · hu gyatra (of poor quality) · it lieve (small in amount, insignificant)

slight en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /slɑɪt/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
• [sl̥ɐɪt] (Canada, US)
• /slaːt/ African-American, General South African
• (US) audio
• [sl̥əɪ̯t] (Canada, US)
• [slɑjt] (British, Southern, Standard)
• /slɒɪt/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
• /slaɪt/
• slīt

Etymology

From Middle English slight (“bad, of poor quality, unimportant, trivial, slender, slim, smooth, level”), from Old English sliht (“smooth, level”), from Proto-Germanic *slihtaz (“slippery, flat, level, plain”), related to English slick. Cognate with Scots slicht (“bad, of poor quality”), West Frisian sljocht (“smooth, level, plain, simple”), Dutch slecht (“bad”), Low German slecht (“bad”), German schlecht (“bad”) and schlicht (“plain, artless, natural”), Danish slet (“bad, evil, poor, nasty, wrong”), Swedish slät (“smooth”), Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk slett (“even”), Icelandic sléttur (“even, smooth, level”).

Meanings

1. The act of ignoring or snubbing; a deliberate act of neglect or discourtesy.
   • But you, you're not allowed You're uninvited An unfortunate slight 1997, Alanis Morissette, “Uninvited”, performed by Alanis Morissette:
   • Never use a slighting expression to her, even in jest; for slights in jest, after frequent bandyings, are apt to end in angry earnest. 1793, Benjamin Franklin, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin:
2. (obsolete) Sleight.
   • For till that stownd could never wight him harme, By subtilty, nor slight, nor might, nor mighty charme. 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto XXXVI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

Forms

Antonyms

respect

Deriveds

put a slight upon · put a slight on · slightsome

Synonyms

neglect · belittlement · ignoring

Translations (27)

hu becsmérlés (act of slighting) · hu megalázás (act of slighting) · de Geringschätzung (act of slighting) · hu fitymálás (act of slighting) · hu semmibevétel (act of slighting) · cmn 忽視 /忽视 (act of slighting) · cs ignorování (act of slighting) · cs znevažování (act of slighting) · hu bántás (act of slighting) · hu megvetés (act of slighting) · bg незачитане (act of slighting) · hu megaláztatás (act of slighting) · ml അവഗണന (act of slighting) · hu lekicsinylés (act of slighting) · hu sértés (act of slighting) · hu félresöprés (act of slighting) · de Herabschätzung (act of slighting) · hu sérelem (act of slighting) · es falta de respeto (act of slighting) · de Beleidigung (act of slighting) · ja 軽視 (act of slighting) · hu megbántás (act of slighting) · cs urážka (act of slighting) · hu mellőzés (act of slighting) · hu megsértés (act of slighting) · de Kränkung (act of slighting) · hu mellőzöttség (act of slighting)

slight en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /slɑɪt/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
• [sl̥ɐɪt] (Canada, US)
• /slaːt/ African-American, General South African
• (US) audio
• [sl̥əɪ̯t] (Canada, US)
• [slɑjt] (British, Southern, Standard)
• /slɒɪt/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
• /slaɪt/
• slīt

Etymology

From Middle English slight (“bad, of poor quality, unimportant, trivial, slender, slim, smooth, level”), from Old English sliht (“smooth, level”), from Proto-Germanic *slihtaz (“slippery, flat, level, plain”), related to English slick. Cognate with Scots slicht (“bad, of poor quality”), West Frisian sljocht (“smooth, level, plain, simple”), Dutch slecht (“bad”), Low German slecht (“bad”), German schlecht (“bad”) and schlicht (“plain, artless, natural”), Danish slet (“bad, evil, poor, nasty, wrong”), Swedish slät (“smooth”), Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk slett (“even”), Icelandic sléttur (“even, smooth, level”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To treat as unimportant or not worthy of attention; to make light of.
   • the wretch who slights the bounty of the skies 1782, William Cowper, Truth:
2. (transitive) To give lesser weight or importance to.
   • Incontiguously (accent on tig; the rest of the syllables slighted) means in an incontiguous manner. 1915, Josephine Turck Baker, Correct English, volumes 16-17, page 182:
3. (transitive) To treat (someone or something) with disdain or neglect, usually out of prejudice, hatred, or jealousy; to ignore disrespectfully; to skimp on one's duties toward.
   • Though true of heart, she was somewhat of a coquette in manner; and I was jealous as a Turk. She slighted me in a thousand ways, yet would never acknowledge herself to be in the wrong. She would drive me mad with anger, and then force me to beg her pardon. 1833, Mary Shelley, The Mortal Immortal:
4. (intransitive) To act negligently or carelessly.
5. (of a fortification, transitive) To render no longer defensible by full or partial demolition.
   • When the parliament had finished the war , they reduced and slighted most of the inland garrison 1702–1704, Edward [Hyde, 1st] Earl of Clarendon, (please specify |book=I to XVI), in The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England, Begun in the Year 1641. […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed at the [Sheldonian] Theater:
6. (obsolete, transitive) To make even or level.
   • After your ground is sowne and harrowed, you shall then clotte it, sleight it, and smooth it. 1620, Gervase Markham, Farwell to Hvsbandry:
7. (transitive) To throw heedlessly.
   • The rogue slighted me into the river. c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merry Wiues of Windsor”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene v]:

Forms

Antonyms

prize · value · honor · look up to · respect · rate · respect · honor · idolize · regard · revere · put store in · esteem · value · esteem · venerate · respect · lay store by · hallow · worthy · put store by · set store by

Deriveds

slightingly

Synonyms

cut down · look down on · heave · belittle · pick · contemn · whang · misrespect · bung · belittle · hurtle · disrespect · vilipend · soss · quoit · disparage · despect · degrade · warp · bagatellize · shy · feck · hurl · minimize · understate · project · make nothing of · cook · skew · set at nought · spurn · launch · disdain · banalize · bung · cast · hield · derogate · flatten · chunk · underestimate · dash · toss · denigrate · pitch · slight · lilliputianize · level · despise · peg · underplay · sling · disesteem · take lightly · lob · scorn · wing · traject · peck · huck · trivialize · thrill · fling · superficialize · contemn · dispraise · throw · despise · deprecate · play down · make little of · dump · chuck · yeet · jerk · hurl · whop · hoy · precipitate · de-emphasize · whip · downplay

Translations (50)

cs přezírat (to treat with a lack of respect; to make light of) · de abmindern (to give lesser weight or importance) · de verharmlosen (to give lesser weight or importance) · cs ignorovat (to treat with a lack of respect; to make light of) · hu megvet (to treat with disdain or neglect) · hu lekicsinyel (to treat with a lack of respect; to make light of) · gl desprezar (to treat with a lack of respect; to make light of) · hu félresöpör (to treat with a lack of respect; to make light of) · hu becsmérel (to treat with disdain or neglect) · it sminuire (to give lesser weight or importance) · hu fitymál (to treat with disdain or neglect) · cmn 忽視 /忽视 (to treat with a lack of respect; to make light of) · mi pī (to treat with a lack of respect; to make light of) · ja 軽視する (to treat with a lack of respect; to make light of) · de zurücksetzen (to treat with a lack of respect; to make light of) · mi tīkai (to treat with a lack of respect; to make light of) · de herabsetzen (to give lesser weight or importance) · mi whakatīkai (to treat with a lack of respect; to make light of) · de vernachlässigen (to treat with a lack of respect; to make light of) · de schmälern (to give lesser weight or importance) · bg не зачитам (to treat with a lack of respect; to make light of) · de kränken (to treat with disdain or neglect) · de verachten (to treat with disdain or neglect) · nl krenken (to treat with disdain or neglect) · cs přehlížet (to treat with a lack of respect; to make light of) · bg презирам (to treat with disdain or neglect) · ja 軽んじる (to treat with a lack of respect; to make light of) · de kränken (to treat with a lack of respect; to make light of) · de missachten (to treat with disdain or neglect) · hu mellőz (to treat with a lack of respect; to make light of) · de beleidigen (to treat with a lack of respect; to make light of) · tr küçük görmek (to treat with a lack of respect; to make light of) · it disprezzare (to treat with a lack of respect; to make light of) · bg пренебрегвам (to give lesser weight or importance) · bg правя небрежно (to act negligently or carelessly) · la temnō (to treat with a lack of respect; to make light of) · cs přezírat (to treat with disdain or neglect) · de herabmindern (to give lesser weight or importance) · ja 賎しめる (to treat with a lack of respect; to make light of) · de beleidigen (to treat with disdain or neglect) · de abschätzig behandeln (to treat with a lack of respect; to make light of) · cmn 侮慢 (to treat with a lack of respect; to make light of) · hu semmibe vesz (to treat with a lack of respect; to make light of) · de verkleinern (to give lesser weight or importance) · de geringschätzig behandeln (to treat with a lack of respect; to make light of) · cmn 輕視 /轻视 (to treat with a lack of respect; to make light of) · hak 侮慢 (to treat with a lack of respect; to make light of) · cs přehlížet (to treat with disdain or neglect) · de missachten (to treat with a lack of respect; to make light of) · de nicht betonen (to give lesser weight or importance)