slight

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See also: Slight

English

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Etymology

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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”).

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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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[1], 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
    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
  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 […]

Derived terms

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Translations

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Verb

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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.
  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

Derived terms

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Translations

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Noun

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slight (plural slights)

  1. The act of ignoring or snubbing; a deliberate act of neglect or discourtesy.
    Synonyms: ignoring, neglect, belittlement
    Antonym: respect
  2. (obsolete) Sleight.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Further reading

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Anagrams

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Middle English

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Etymology 1

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

Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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

Adjective

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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.
Descendants
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  • English: slight
  • Scots: slicht
  • Yola: sleight
References
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Etymology 2

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Noun

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slight

  1. Alternative form of sleighte

Adjective

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slight

  1. Alternative form of sleighte
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