Word
slight
US/ˈsɫaɪt/
UK/slˈaɪt/
Definitions
01small in amount
B1 · Intermediate
adj. small in amount or degree; not very important or strong.
adj. small in amount, degree, or importance; often used to describe changes, differences, or physical sensations.
“There has been a slight change to our travel plans for tomorrow.”
“The researchers noted a slight but statistically significant improvement in patient outcomes following the implementation of the new protocol.”
Antonyms
02thin or slender
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. having a thin and delicate body.
adj. having a slender or delicate physical build.
“She was a slight woman, but she was surprisingly strong.”
“Despite his slight frame, the young gymnast possessed remarkable upper-body strength and agility on the rings.”
03to ignore or disrespect
C1 · Advanced Formal
v. to treat someone as if they are not important, often by ignoring them.
v. to treat someone or something with disdain or neglect; to fail to show proper respect or attention.
“He felt that his boss had slighted him by not inviting him to the meeting.”
“The diplomat felt slighted when he was seated at the far end of the table, away from the primary negotiators.”
Usage
This is a transitive verb and requires a direct object.
Antonyms
04an insult or snub
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Formal
n. an action or remark that insults someone, usually by ignoring them.
n. an instance of being treated with discourtesy or a lack of due respect; a deliberate snub.
“She took his failure to reply to her email as a personal slight.”
“The omission of her name from the list of contributors was viewed by many as a calculated slight by the editorial board.”
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “slight” in context.
Etymology
From Middle English slight, with senses ranging from "slender" and "smooth" through "trivial" and "of poor quality". That range — physical sleekness shading into moral dismissiveness — was already present in Old English sliht, "smooth, level", which descended from Proto-Germanic \slihtaz, meaning "slippery, flat, level, plain". Related to slick*, sharing that surface quality that slips away under the hand.
Cognates trace the same split. German keeps both directions: schlecht for "bad" and schlicht for "plain, artless". Dutch slecht and Low German slecht follow the pejorative path. Scots slicht means "bad, of poor quality", and West Frisian sljocht preserves the older breadth: "smooth, level, plain, simple". The Scandinavian languages split too: Swedish slät and Norwegian slett keep the physical, while Danish slet has moved toward "bad, evil, wrong". Only Icelandic sléttur, "even, smooth, level", retains the flat surface without the moral slip.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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