slight

Meaning

Adj

1. Minor; small in amount
2. Minor; small in amount
3. Minor; small in amount
4. (archaic, rare) Minor; small in amount
5. Of slender build.
6. (regional) Even, smooth or level.
7. (especially) Still; with little or no movement on the surface.
8. (obsolete) Foolish; silly; not intellectual.
9. (obsolete, regional) Bad, of poor quality.
10. (dated) Slighting; treating with disdain.

Verb

1. (transitive) To treat as unimportant or not worthy of attention; to make light of.
2. (transitive) To give lesser weight or importance to.
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.
4. (intransitive) To act negligently or carelessly.
5. (transitive) To render no longer defensible by full or partial demolition.
6. (obsolete, transitive) To make even or level.
7. (transitive) To throw heedlessly.

Noun

1. The act of ignoring or snubbing; a deliberate act of neglect or discourtesy.
2. (obsolete) Sleight.

Opposite of

respect, value, esteem, honor

Synonyms

disregard

neglect

small

little

insult

despise

disdain

trifling

thin

insignificant

contempt

scorn

light

ignore

slim

look down upon

slender

minor

trivial

fragile

affront

petty

disrespect

delicate

unimportant

tiny

frail

belittle

disparage

weak

gentle

tenuous

flimsy

snub

feeble

contemn

avoid

humiliate

subtle

eschew

easy

alienate

faint

paltry

shun

mild

underestimate

negligible

svelte

hold in contempt

Translations

geringfügig

affront

scarso

leggero

unbedeutend

Geringfügigkeit

insignificante

léger

leve

ελαφρός

schwach

Kränkung

Verachtung

unwichtig

ασήμαντος

Pronounced as (IPA)

/slaɪt/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: slight

Inherited from Old English: sliht

Cognate with English: slick

Cognate with Scots: slicht

Cognate with Western Frisian: sljocht

Cognate with Dutch: slecht

Cognate with Low German: slecht

Cognate with German: schlecht

Cognate with Danish: slet

Cognate with Swedish: slät

Cognate with Norwegian: slett

Cognate with Icelandic: sléttur

In summary

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”).