slight
slight Lexical Profile
slight Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Small in degree, amount, or extent; inconsiderable and not thorough.
"There was a slight improvement in the patient's condition overnight."
Not sturdy and strongly built (of a person or their physical build); slender and delicate.
"Despite her slight frame, the gymnast possessed remarkable upper-body strength."
Lacking depth, substance, or seriousness (especially of a creative work or argument); trivial or superficial.
"Critics dismissed the novel as a slight, predictable romance with little emotional depth."
• noun
An insult or offensive act caused by a failure to show someone proper respect, courtesy, or attention.
"He perceived his exclusion from the committee meeting as a deliberate personal slight."
• verb
To insult or offend someone by treating them as unimportant or unworthy of respect and attention.
"The veteran diplomat felt slighted when he was seated far from the head of the table."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse the noun 'slight' (an insult or lack of respect) with its homophone 'sleight' (dexterity or cunning, used almost exclusively in the phrase 'sleight of hand').
• Rhymes for slight
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'slight', borrowed from Old Norse 'sléttr', meaning 'flat, smooth, or level', which gradually evolved in English to mean 'slender' and 'of little weight or importance'.