slightlyslight‧ly /ˈslaɪtli/ ●●● S1 W2 adverb 
a slightly different color a slightly more powerful engineslightly higher/lower/better/larger etc January’s sales were slightly better than average. He was someone I already knew slightly. a slightly tart flavor He leaned forward ever so slightly.2slightly-built having a thin and delicate body
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- a slightly different color
- Florida has a slightly larger population than Illinois.
- He stood for a moment, his body swaying slightly.
- Let the cookies cool slightly before removing them from the baking sheet.
- Lynn's daughter is only slightly older than mine.
- Sean's car is a slightly different colour.
- The temperature had risen slightly, but it was still very cold.
- He was also seen on the same Monday slightly later standing at Crown Point, Martlesham.
- However, another slightly amended Bill was soon prepared.
- In this tape, a partner demonstrates each pose in a slightly more advanced form.
- Lunch was slightly less raucous than the evening meal, but still enormously popular with the masses.
- She looked red-eyed and white-faced, slightly fearful and anxious.
- Some find the high degree of media hype that has surrounded publication slightly worrying.
- The right panel dangled from its upper hinge, swaying slightly, its rusted hinge producing a soft, musical squeak.
Longman Language Activatora little tired/sad/older/bigger etc
· I'm feeling a little tired, I think I'll go upstairs and have a rest.· When you're a little older, you'll understand why I'm doing this.· "Do you feel sad that you're leaving?" "Just a little."
also a (tiny) bit British informal a little: · I think David was a bit disappointed I forgot his birthday.· I'm a little bit cold. Do you mind if I turn up the heat?· Aren't you a bit young to be going to nightclubs?· I tried on the dress but it was just a tiny bit small.
a little, but not enough to be important or to notice: · Florida has a slightly larger population than Illinois.· Sean's car is a slightly different colour.· Lynn's daughter is only slightly older than mine.
only a little and not as much as you might have expected: · We should be there soon. It's not much further.· His son's not much younger than I am.not much good: · I'm not much good at explaining things.
only a little or not at all: · The house isn't very old. It was built in the 1990s.· I still go running, but not very often.· "Was the bike expensive?" "Not very."· The President was not very happy that the information had been leaked to the press.
when something or someone moves or changes a little · His work has improved a little since he began the special classes.· Gas prices have fallen a little, but they are still much higher than last year.· I could see that Mrs Ewing's hand was trembling a little.
also a bit British informal a little: · Do you mind if I open the window a little bit.· The centre of the town had changed a bit, but everything else was just as I remember it.· Isn't that house leaning a little bit to the right?
a little, but not enough to be important or easy to notice: · The temperature had risen slightly, but it was still very cold.· He stood for a moment, his body swaying slightly.
only a little and not as much as you might have expected: · Things haven't changed much over the past few years.· I added more memory to my computer, but its performance didn't improve much.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY a slightly different color a slightly more powerful engine January’s sales were slightly better than average. He leaned forward ever so slightly.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES It seems quite absurd to expect anyone to drive for 3 hours just for a 20-minute meeting. The flight was badly delayed because of fog. a slightly different way of doing things
a slightly different color a slightly more powerful engine January’s sales were slightly better than average. He leaned forward ever so slightly. It seems quite absurd to expect anyone to drive for 3 hours just for a 20-minute meeting. (=a little)· Population levels actually began to slightly decrease five years ago.
The flight was badly delayed because of fog.· He was exhausted and mildly depressed.
· Prices differ slightly from one shop to another.
a slightly different way of doing things· Tom looked slightly embarrassed when his name was called out.
· Roger spoke with a slightly exaggerated American accent.
(=a little excessive)· I thought her reaction was somewhat excessive.
(also somewhat inferior formal)· I always felt slightly inferior to her.
· Looking slightly nervous, Paul began to speak.
(also a bit overweight)· He was tall and slightly overweight.· He’s a bit overweight, not too much.
(=a little water comes down)· It’s raining slightly, but we can still go out.
· Andrew felt slightly ridiculous carrying the dog.
· The water temperature had risen slightly.
· Adam opened the envelope, his hand shaking slightly.
(=a little)· I saw her smile faintly at the memory.
· He was a little surprised by her request.
(also a bit unfair British English spoken)· You’re being slightly unfair on him.
· The cooking time may vary slightly depending on your oven.
(also a bit worried British English)· I was a bit worried about my exams.
· Two people were shot and slightly wounded.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· On Silver and Knitmaster standard and fine gauge electronics the setting is slightly different.· Each has a slightly different take on aging.· A slightly different principle, which allows solvent flow to take place, forms the basis of the Melab and Knauer models.· A hard disk is usually built into the computer and is a slightly different form of storage.· And it had been known, in slightly different circumstances.· The procedure for testing foods is slightly different for hyperkinetic syndrome.· Ray Clarke, director of the Tucson Urban League, takes a slightly different view of the issue.
· With hands clasped behind and palms facing inwards, raise the arms 35 times, aiming slightly higher with each count.· Still, the November increase was slightly higher than expected.· However, inter-bank rates are generally slightly higher and certainly more volatile than rates in the traditional market.· They produced stable oxygen levels slightly higher than on Earth.· May I hope, however, that some of your magazine's future escorts might be of a slightly higher intellectual calibre?· The company expects revenues and gross margins in the fourth quarter to be flat to slightly higher than the just-ended quarter.· Although the patients in remission showed a slightly higher absorption of PEGs, this rise was not statistically significant.· He said people earning more than £40,000 or £50,000 could afford slightly higher taxes.
· In use the banding clamp is adjusted before gluing to a diameter slightly larger than that of the assembled segments.· The fruit is slightly larger than the wild strawberry, and it is very pointed.· Many libraries on a slightly larger scale than this still survive and flourish outside the public library system.· Reservations are recommended, usually for a maximum of five people although slightly larger groups can be accommodated.· This proportion is lower than that in chemistry, and reflects a slightly larger spread of values about the mode in geology.· If you build your jig slightly larger than your posts it will slide up and down more easily.· It was also a slightly larger organisation than that in London, and certainly a more costly one.· History records that neither Cold War superpower was much interested in invading this Balkan backwater, which is slightly larger than Maryland.
· He was also seen on the same Monday slightly later standing at Crown Point, Martlesham.· That direct engagement with the space may be compared with a slightly later work by Richard Serra.· The slightly later and opposing tradition is that of the lexicographer as the objective observer and recorder of language.· They occur in deposits slightly later than most afropithecins.· The nose is mutilated; the bust was apparently deliberately buried in late antiquity with a companion piece of slightly later date.· I was slightly late and, you know with lecture theatres, you usually walk in the bottom and everyone's sitting.· The lid does not belong and is slightly later in date.· A coach-house of slightly later vintage served as a double garage.
· At this stage there would be no harm in leaving the tenons slightly long.· It is slightly longer and more expensive, but is nevertheless a viable alternative should the Qatif alignment be politically unfeasible.· They are slightly longer than half the disk radius.· He sat down on a sofa which he realised was slightly longer than his cubicle in the lodging house.· It took him slightly longer to reach her this time - four, maybe five strides.· You may also need slightly longer for a panel interview.· The pockets and waistband take slightly longer to dry out completely.· Peggy is also willing to take orders for slightly longer bags to fit the Elite plus extensions.
· The Durava was a considerably smaller caste than the Salagama, and its social status was probably slightly lower.· London shares recovered from deep early losses to end slightly lower.· The effect is that all readings are slightly low.· The Kutchi Rabaris, for example, being a slightly lower sub caste of his own caste, aroused his disapproval.· The ratio was slightly lower than that achieved by the industry before nationalisation, but it was not markedly out of line with other countries.· Fees are slightly lower November through April.· The interim dividend is 2.5p, against 1.75p and earnings were 0.5p higher at 8.2p after a slightly lower tax burden.· When newly formed along mid-oceanic ridges it is hot and thin and it probably has a slightly lower density.
· Lynx games will appeal to kids of slightly older ages.· She chooses whatever is available, probably a slightly older man with no more money but a steady job.· As a child, she had been dominated by a slightly older brother.· He seemed slightly older than she had first imagined.· In the lowest quartile, the mean age was only slightly older, 74, and 16 percent were men.· Three-floor club patronized by a slightly older, self-consciously stylish, well-off crowd.· And if he examined trends in slightly older age groups, he could throw in Alzheimer's disease.
· Danske Bank became the largest bank in the Nordic region, with Unibank slightly smaller in terms of overall capital assets.· The new space will be slightly smaller but the variety of merchandise should stay the same.· The ventral interradial areas are also covered by spinelets which are slightly smaller than those of the dorsal side.· This would include babies who are slightly small for gestational age.· That will certainly mean a slightly smaller, lighter car with an engine of less than the present 6.75 litres.· A slightly smaller proportion need shopping help, but only 9 percent receive this type of assistance.· Girls sniff too, although, perhaps a slightly smaller proportion than boys.· You can get away with slightly smaller units of these than of other Goblins.
· They weren't foolproof but it made Sly feel slightly better to flip it on.· The story is that slightly better eyesight will enable animals to avoid death and find food slightly more effectively.· It looked a scrappy goal, but slightly better once I had seen what really happened on the telly.· The outlook for stocks in 1996 is only slightly better, the exchange chief said.· The next morning Chola seemed to be slightly better but Sigarup, if anything, was worse.· The Minnesota index did slightly better than the broader market.· He emerged fifteen minutes later, as he always did, looking only slightly better than he had when he entered.· The evidence suggests that women are on average slightly better than men at running countries.
VERB· Sales of Guinness fell slightly in a national market which shrank by up to 5 percent.· Prices are now falling slightly after stringent budget-deficit cuts.· In fact, employment rose at the New Jersey chains and fell slightly in Pennsylvania.· And the surface should fall slightly to one side to shed rainwater.· It falls slightly short of such classic vintages as 1961 and 1982· Net cash fell slightly to £2.2m this time from £2.3m last.· After a couple of years' use the charger's output may fall slightly.
· Throughout it all, there was an undisguised murmur of conversation in the church and Denis felt slightly sick.· Now he'd organized his life he felt slightly more cheerful, and cheerfulness always made him hungry.· This was so nearly true that she had the grace to feel slightly ashamed of herself.· I felt slightly ashamed that my priority was breakfast, but excused it on the grounds that shock probably induced hunger.· Sara felt slightly sick, but there was no point in wading deeper into the morass.· Rory had felt slightly sorry for his elder brother, then.· He even felt slightly awkward sitting out with her in a public place having coffee.· When he took his hand away still saying nothing, she felt slightly hurt and resentful.
· Despite squeezes on capital expenditure in this sector, total sales did increase slightly to £9.3m from £8.3m in 1991.· Urinary bilirubin levels are negative since the level of conjugated bilirubin is normal or only slightly increased. 238.· It may increase slightly but if fertility continues to decline at the present rate that is unlikely.· Museum financial statements show admissions have increased slightly since 1990, and memberships have increased slowly during the same period.· Standard Vitara width of 64ins remains unchanged, but height is increased slightly to 67ins.· Hispanic participation rates increased slightly as well, from 26. 9 percent in 1985 to 34. 4 percent in 1991.· The numbers of both pupils and teachers have increased slightly since 1984 - the first increase since the early 1970s.· Although wheat yields would increase slightly, average grain size decreases.
· Fellow guard Andy MacKenzie, 35, was slightly injured.· Accident: Two people were slightly injured in a collision between two vehicles on the A66 west of Bowes at 9.30 yesterday.· A policeman was slightly injured when he was struck by falling stones in the Umbrian town of Sellano.· Only four of the 77 passengers were slightly injured while escaping from the emergency exits but the aircraft was badly damaged.· They were treated for shock, but were said to be only slightly injured.· A 23-year-old supermarket employee was slightly injured when he was hit with a heavy instrument just after noon yesterday.· The friend was injured slightly and was released from the hospital the next day.
· If anything, he looks slightly younger than Howard now.· I said, nodding to Sally and her husband, Bruno, who was looking slightly exasperated at the interruption.· He stepped back a pace, smiling broadly as he saw the young woman who stood before him, looking slightly surprised.· Fred always looked slightly surprised when he emerged from the hat, and his expression of annoyed bewilderment delighted the children.· He looked slightly embarrassed and did not deny that he had.· The young magistrate did actually look slightly mad.· This made her look slightly ridiculous and McKillop had to fight back a smile.· I sat on his left, and had the impression of looking slightly down at him.
· The ground rose slightly, then dipped; after a hundred yards or so a shallow outcrop of rocks hid the house.· They rose slightly to 28 in 1992, dropped to 26 last year and 18 so far this year, he said.· But take away the effect of the new council tax and underlying inflation has risen slightly.· The water temperature had risen slightly, and for a few days we even saw an occasional flying fish.· The road was beginning to rise slightly, an incline that led to a gentle crest.· Full-time employment in December rose slightly to 6. 28 million, from 6. 27 million in November.· Revenue rose slightly to $ 768 million from $ 765. 6 million.· On the next try, however, the plane rose slightly.
· They just seemed slightly unwholesome now, like used tissues.· Even to suggest that efforts he made to expand the labor force by increasing the domestic birth rate would seem slightly artful.· It seemed slightly indecent to listen.· If his name seems slightly familiar, perhaps you are a backpacker.· My slight personal acquaintance with the subject of all this discouraging impersonal solemnity seemed slightly ridiculous.· He seemed slightly embarrassed by it all.· He even seemed slightly grateful that I had raised the matter.· When Mark McGwire was 23, he seemed slightly bigger than humans are supposed to get.
· Because games may vary slightly in length you may not start at the exact time given.· Because bond strengths may differ along the various crystallographic axes, hardness may also vary slightly in direction.· However, standards do vary slightly, so we give the best rooms to early bookers.· Goods can be varied slightly and repackaged for local markets throughout the world.· The promotion aspects of the marketing mix vary slightly between consumer markets and industrial markets.· The commands a modem understands vary slightly among brands, as do the default settings.· Still more briefly I have attempted to show that instincts vary slightly in a state of Nature.· This consisted of drawing on graph paper ten figures of slightly varying geometric size, made up of squares.
WORD FAMILYadjectiveslightslightestnounslightverbslightadverbslightly
1a little: a slightly different color a slightly more powerful engineslightly higher/lower/better/larger etc January’s sales were slightly better than average. He was someone I already knew slightly. a slightly tart flavor He leaned forward ever so slightly.2slightly-built having a thin and delicate body