slightly
English
editEtymology
editPronunciation
editAdverb
editslightly (comparative more slightly, superlative most slightly)
- Slenderly; delicately.
- He was slightly built, but tall.
- (degree) To a small extent or degree.
- Synonyms: a little, marginally, somewhat, not much
- Antonyms: quite, very
- He weighed slightly less than his wife who was a foot shorter.
- 2021 April 23, Ronald Brownstein, “The racist ‘replacement theory’ has it all backward”, in CNN[1]:
- And while that number is expected to shift back slightly into positive territory over this decade, fewer children today establishes an unmistakable implication for tomorrow: fewer adults available as consumers, workers and taxpayers.
Usage notes
editSlightly is often used by the English to mean almost the opposite, something like rather. For example, "The big picture here of course is that still staggeringly low numbers of these migrants are being hired though, isn't it? And despite these rather positive tales we've just heard, there seems to be a broader, slightly grimmer picture which perhaps will have a lesson for other countries thinking of receiving migrants." (Ed Butler on BBC Business Daily, Sept. 23, 2016)
Derived terms
editTranslations
editslenderly
to a small extent or degree
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Categories:
- English terms suffixed with -ly (adverbial)
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio pronunciation
- Rhymes:English/aɪtli
- Rhymes:English/aɪtli/2 syllables
- English lemmas
- English adverbs
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with quotations
- English degree adverbs
- English manner adverbs