Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Slight

Slight

,
Noun.
Sleight.
Spenser.

Slight

,
Verb.
T.
[Cf. D.
slechten
to level, to demolish.]
1.
To overthrow; to demolish.
[Obs.]
Clarendon.
2.
To make even or level.
[Obs.]
Hexham.
3.
To throw heedlessly.
[Obs.]
The rogue
slighted
me into the river.
Shakespeare

Slight

,
Adj.
[
Com
par.
Slighter
;
sup
erl.
Slightest
.]
[OE.
sli[GREEK]t
,
sleght
, probably from OD.
slicht
,
slecht
, simple, plain, D.
slecht
; akin to OFries.
sliucht
, G.
schlecht
,
schlicht
, OHG.
sleht
smooth, simple, Icel.
sl[GREEK]ttr
smooth, Sw.
slät
, Goth.
slaíhts
; or uncertain origin.]
1.
Not decidedly marked; not forcible; inconsiderable; unimportant; insignificant; not severe; weak; gentle; – applied in a great variety of circumstances;
as, a
slight
(i. e., feeble) effort; a
slight
(i. e., perishable) structure; a
slight
(i. e., not deep) impression; a
slight
(i. e., not convincing) argument; a
slight
(i. e., not thorough) examination;
slight
(i. e., not severe) pain, and the like.
“At one slight bound.”
Milton.
Slight
is the subject, but not so the praise.
Pope.
Some firmly embrace doctrines upon
slight
grounds.
Locke.
2.
Not stout or heavy; slender.
His own figure, which was formerly so
slight
.
Sir W. Scott.
3.
Foolish; silly; weak in intellect.
Hudibras.

Slight

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Slighted
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Slighting
.]
To disregard, as of little value and unworthy of notice; to make light of;
as, to
slight
the divine commands
.
Milton.
The wretch who
slights
the bounty of the skies.
Cowper.
To slight off
, to treat slightingly; to drive off; to remove.
[R.]
–
To slight over
,
to run over in haste; to perform superficially; to treat carelessly;
as,
to slight over
a theme
.
“They will but slight it over.”
Bacon.
Syn. – To neglect; disregard; disdain; scorn.
–
Slight
,
Neglect
. To slight is stronger than to neglect. We may neglect a duty or person from inconsiderateness, or from being over-occupied in other concerns. To slight is always a positive and intentional act, resulting from feelings of dislike or contempt. We ought to put a kind construction on what appears neglect on the part of a friend; but when he slights us, it is obvious that he is our friend no longer.
Beware . . . lest the like befall . . .
If they transgress and
slight
that sole command.
Milton.
This my long-sufferance, and my day of grace,
Those who
neglect
and scorn shall never taste.
Milton.

Slight

,
Noun.
The act of slighting; the manifestation of a moderate degree of contempt, as by neglect or oversight; neglect; indignity.
Syn. – Neglect; disregard; inattention; contempt; disdain; scorn; disgrace; indignity; disparagement.

Slight

,
adv.
Slightly.
[Obs. or Poetic]
Think not so
slight
of glory.
Milton.

Webster 1828 Edition

Slight

SLIGHT

,
Adj.
[It seems that slight belongs to the family of sleek, smooth.]
1.
Weak; inconsiderable; not forcible; as a slight impulse; a slight effort.
2.
Not deep; as a slight impression.
3.
Not violent; as a slight disease, illness or indisposition.
4.
Trifling; of no great importance. Slight is the subject, but not so the praise.
5.
Not strong; not cogent. Some firmly embrace doctrines upon slight grounds.
6.
Negligent; not vehement; not done with effort. The shaking of the head is a gesture of slight refusal.
7.
Not firm or strong; thin; of loose texture; as slight silk.
8.
Foolish; silly; weak in intellect.

SLIGHT

,
Noun.
1.
Neglect; disregard; a moderate degree of contempt manifested negatively by neglect. It expresses less than contempt, disdain and scorn.
2.
Artifice; dexterity. [See Sleight.]

SLIGHT

,
Verb.
T.
1.
To neglect; to disregard from the consideration that a thing is of little value and unworthy of notice; as, to slight the divine commands, or the offers of mercy.
2.
To overthrow; to demolish. [Not used.] 'The rogues slighted me into the river,' in Shakespeare, is not used.

Definition 2024

slight

slight

English

Adjective

slight ‎(comparative slighter, superlative slightest)

  1. Small amount, gentle, or weak,; not decidedly marked; not forcible; inconsiderable; unimportant; insignificant; not severe.
    a slight (i.e. feeble) effort;  a slight (i.e. not deep) impression;  a slight (i.e. not convincing) argument;  a slight (i.e. not thorough) examination;  a slight (i.e. not severe) pain;  in the slight future (i.e. the very near future)‎
    • Alexander Pope (1688-1744)
      Slight is the subject, but not so the praise.
    • John Locke (1632-1705)
      Some firmly embrace doctrines upon slight grounds.
    • 1922, Ben Travers, chapter 2, in A Cuckoo in the Nest:
      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, […] .
  2. Not stout or heavy; slender.
    a slight but graceful woman‎
    • Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832)
      his own figure, which was formerly so slight
  3. (regional) Even, smooth or level; still (of the sea).
    A slight stone‎
    The sea was slight and calm‎
  4. (obsolete) Foolish; silly; weak in intellect.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Hudibras to this entry?)
  5. (regional, obsolete) Bad, of poor quality (as, goods).
    A gullible chapman was fooled into buying really slight goods.‎

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

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

  1. To treat as slight or not worthy of attention, to make light of.
    • Cowper
      the wretch who slights the bounty of the skies
  2. To treat with disdain or neglect.
  3. To act negligently or carelessly.
  4. (military, of a fortification) To render no longer defensible by full or partial demolition.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Clarendon to this entry?)
  5. To make even or level.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Hexham to this entry?)
  6. To throw heedlessly.
    • Shakespeare
      The rogue slighted me into the river.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

slight ‎(plural slights)

  1. The act of slighting; a deliberate act of neglect or discourtesy.
    • 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.
  2. Sleight.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Spenser to this entry?)

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

  • put a slight upon

Translations

References

Anagrams

Etymology

From Middle English slight ‎(“bad, of poor quality, unimportant, trivial, slender, slim, smooth, level”), from Old English sliht ‎(“smooth, level”), from Proto-Germanic *slihtaz. Cognate with Danish slet ‎(“bad, evil, poor, nasty, wrong”), Dutch slecht ‎(“bad”), Icelandic sléttur ‎(“even, smooth, level”), German schlecht ‎(“bad”), German schlicht ‎(“plain”), Norwegian slett ‎(“even”), Low German slecht ‎(“bad”), Swedish slät ‎(“smooth”). Related to slighten, slicht.

Pronunciation

  • enPR: slīt, IPA(key): /slaɪt/
  • Rhymes: -aɪt
  • Homophone: sleight

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