Slightly

Pronunciation: /slaɪtli/

Definitions of slightly

adverb to a small degree; not considerably

Example Sentences

A1 She was slightly nervous before her first day of school.

A2 The cat's tail twitched slightly as it watched the bird outside.

B1 The price of the product has been slightly reduced for the sale.

B2 The new software update has slightly improved the performance of the device.

C1 The artist decided to slightly alter the composition of the painting to enhance its impact.

C2 The company's profits have only slightly increased compared to last year.

Examples of slightly in a Sentence

formal The temperature is slightly lower than yesterday.

informal I'm feeling slightly tired after the long day.

slang I'm just slightly obsessed with that new TV show.

figurative Her smile slightly brightened up the room.

Grammatical Forms of slightly

• past tense: slightlyed
• plural: slightlies
• comparative: slightlier
• superlative: slightliest
• present tense: slightly
• future tense: will slightly
• perfect tense: have slightlyed
• continuous tense: is slightlying
• singular: slightly
• positive degree: slightly
• infinitive: to slightly
• gerund: slighting
• participle: slighted

Origin and Evolution of slightly

First Known Use: 1300 year

Language of Origin: Old English

Story behind the word: The word 'slightly' originated from the Middle English word 'slihtly' which came from the Old English word 'slīhtlīce'.

Evolution of the word: Originally used to mean 'in a slight manner or degree', the word 'slightly' has evolved to also convey the idea of 'to a small extent' or 'somewhat'.