Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adverb To a small degree or extent; somewhat.
  • adverb Slenderly; delicately.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • In a slight manner; slimly; slenderly; unsubstantially.
  • To a slight degree; to some little extent; in some small measure: as, slightly scented wood; slightly wounded.
  • With scant ceremony or respect; with little consideration; disparagingly; slightingly.
  • Easily; thoughtlessly.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adverb In a slight manner.
  • adverb obsolete Slightingly; negligently.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adverb Slenderly; delicately.
  • adverb To a small extent or degree.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adverb to a small degree or extent
  • adverb in a slim or slender manner

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

slight +‎ -ly

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Examples

  • While I might have exaggerated that speed slightly for dramatic input, the operative word is 'slightly* and the truth is not far out.

    The Falcons of Montabard Chadwick, Elizabeth 2004

  • On the whole, I am far from certain that the account-current of honesty is not slightly -- honesty very _slightly_ leavens either transaction -- in favour of the non-paying States, as men do sometimes borrow with good intentions, and fail, from inability, to pay; whereas, in the whole course of my experience, I never knew a captor of a ship who intended to give back any of the prize-money, if he could help it.

    Afloat and Ashore A Sea Tale James Fenimore Cooper 1820

  • Sheikh Mohammed, who now famously gave an unraced yearling called Carlton House to the Queen, offered his encouragement to Her Majesty via Twitter this week, even if he got her title slightly wrong.

    Tattenham Corner 2011

  • My own atheism I may be using the term slightly incorrectly is not based on the existence or otherwise of god, which one cannot prove either way, but on the much more self evident facts that there is no personal salvation.

    I do have an axe AYDIN 2009

  • Cutting to the chase gets to the heart of the matter, but we use the phrase slightly differently from what it commonly means.

    Egonomics David Marcum 2007

  • Giles paused from his studies, his expression slightly alarmed.

    The Willow Files Yvonne Navarro 1999

  • Giles paused from his studies, his expression slightly alarmed.

    The Willow Files Yvonne Navarro 1999

  • He gestured at the showroom, his expression slightly amused.

    Mourn Not Your Dead Deborah Crombie 1996

  • He gestured at the showroom, his expression slightly amused.

    Mourn Not Your Dead Deborah Crombie 1996

  • He gestured at the showroom, his expression slightly amused.

    Mourn Not Your Dead Deborah Crombie 1996

Comments

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  • One of Peter Pan's lost boys.

    August 9, 2009