slight
- 01 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.
Simple“There has been a slight change to our travel plans for tomorrow.”
In context“The researchers noted a slight but statistically significant improvement in patient outcomes following the implementation of the new protocol.”
Antonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.having a thin and delicate body.
adj.having a slender or delicate physical build.
Simple“She was a slight woman, but she was surprisingly strong.”
In context“Despite his slight frame, the young gymnast possessed remarkable upper-body strength and agility on the rings.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
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.
Simple“He felt that his boss had slighted him by not inviting him to the meeting.”
In context“The diplomat felt slighted when he was seated at the far end of the table, away from the primary negotiators.”
UsageThis is a transitive verb and requires a direct object.
- 04 C1 Advanced
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.
Simple“She took his failure to reply to her email as a personal slight.”
In context“The omission of her name from the list of contributors was viewed by many as a calculated slight by the editorial board.”
Antonyms
Usage incorporation slight
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.