slight

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 slett (“even”), Icelandic sléttur (“even, smooth, level”).

• enPR: slīt, IPA^(key): /slaɪt/
• (US) IPA^(key):

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪt
• Homophone: sleight

slight (comparative slighter, superlative slightest)

1. Small.

   Synonyms: ignorable, meaningless, negligible, tiny; see also Thesaurus:tiny, Thesaurus:insignificant

   1. Gentle or weak, not aggressive or powerful.

      give it a slight kick

      a slight hint of cinnamon

      a slight effort

      a slight (i.e. not convincing) argument

      • 1921, Ben Travers, chapter 2, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC:

        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, […] .

      • 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:

        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.

   2. Not thorough; superficial.

      make a slight examination

   3. Trifling; unimportant; insignificant.

      we made a slight mistake

      a slight pain

      • 1741, John Locke, Some Thoughts Concerning Education & of the Conduct of the Understanding:

        Some firmly embrace doctrines upon slight grounds.

      • 1714, Alexander Pope, “The Rape of the Lock”, in The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, volume I, London: W Bowyer, for Bernard Lintot, , published 1717, →OCLC, canto I:

        Slight is the subject, but not so the praise.

   4. (archaic or rare) Not far away in space or time.

      in the slight future

2. Of slender build.

   Synonyms: lithe, svelte, willowy; see also Thesaurus:slender

   a slight but graceful woman

   • 1822, Sir Walter Scott, Peveril of the Peak:

     his own figure, which was formerly so slight

   • 2002, Eva Brann, Homeric Moments, page 48:

     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.

3. (regional) Even, smooth or level.

   Synonyms: flat, glassy, slick; see also Thesaurus:smooth

   A slight stone

4. (especially said of the sea) Still; with little or no movement on the surface.

   The sea was slight and calm

5. (obsolete) Foolish; silly; not intellectual.

   Synonyms: daft, fatuous, soft in the head; see also Thesaurus:foolish

   • 1859, Samuel Butler, Hudibras, Canto 1, lines 781-784:

     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.

6. (regional, obsolete) Bad, of poor quality.

   Synonyms: flimsy, lousy, shoddy; see also Thesaurus:low-quality

   • 1889 (first published), George Washington, Writings

     we frequently have slight Goods and sometimes old and unsaleable Articles

7. (dated) Slighting; treating with disdain.

   Synonyms: contemptuous, disdainful, scornful; see also Thesaurus:disdainful

   • 1863, Sheridan Le Fanu, The House by the Churchyard:

     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 […]

slight (third-person singular simple present slights, present participle slighting, simple past and past participle slighted)

1. (transitive) To treat as unimportant or not worthy of attention; to make light of.
   • 1782, William Cowper, Truth:

     the wretch who slights the bounty of the skies

2. (transitive) To give lesser weight or importance to.

   Synonym: belittle

   Antonyms: respect, value, esteem

   • 1915, Josephine Turck Baker, Correct English, volumes 16-17, page 182:

     Incontiguously (accent on tig; the rest of the syllables slighted) means in an incontiguous manner.

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.

   Synonyms: contemn, despise

   Antonyms: respect, honor

   • 1833, Mary Shelley, The Mortal Immortal:

     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.

4. (intransitive) To act negligently or carelessly. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
5. (transitive, military, of a fortification) To render no longer defensible by full or partial demolition.
   • 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 Theater, published 1707, →OCLC:

     When the parliament had finished the war , they reduced and slighted most of the inland garrison

6. (obsolete, transitive) To make even or level.
   • 1620, Gervase Markham, Farwell to Hvsbandry:

     After your ground is sowne and harrowed, you shall then clotte it, sleight it, and smooth it.

7. (transitive) To throw heedlessly.

   Synonyms: bung, hurl; see also Thesaurus:throw

   • 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 Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     The rogue slighted me into the river.

• slightingly

slight (plural slights)

1. The act of ignoring or snubbing; a deliberate act of neglect or discourtesy.

   Synonyms: ignoring, neglect, belittlement

   Antonym: respect

   • 1793, Benjamin Franklin, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin:

     Never use a slighting expression to her, even in jest; for slights in jest, after frequent bandyings, are apt to end in angry earnest.

   • 1997, Alanis Morissette (lyrics and music), “Uninvited”, performed by Alanis Morissette:

     But you, you're not allowed
     You're uninvited
     An unfortunate slight

2. (obsolete) Sleight.
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto XXXVI”, in The Faerie Queene. , London: [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

     For till that stownd could never wight him harme,
     By subtilty, nor slight, nor might, nor mighty charme.

• put a slight upon

• The Dictionary of the Scots Language
• The Dictionary of the Scots Language
• The Middle English Dictionary
• “slight”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

• lights

Inherited from Old English sliht, from Proto-West Germanic *sliht, from Proto-Germanic *slihtaz.

• sleght, sleȝt, sleight, sleiȝte, sliȝt, slyght, slyȝt

• IPA^(key): /slixt/, /sliːxt/, /slɛxt/
• Rhymes: -ixt

slight

1. Level, even, smooth; having no bumps or lumps.
2. (rare) Of little importance or relevance.
3. (rare) Slim, narrow, skinny; of little breadth.
4. (rare) Badly made, poorly-built, or low-quality.

• English: slight
• Scots: slicht
• Yola: sleight

• “slight, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-12-12.

slight

1. Alternative form of sleighte

slight

1. Alternative form of sleighte