By a small amount or degree; not very much. It shows that a change or difference is minor.
“Slightly” comes from “slight,” which in Old Norse “sletta” meant “smooth” or “level,” and later in English came to mean “small” or “insignificant.” The adverb adds the typical “‑ly” ending. The word shifted from physical smoothness to the idea of weakness or smallness.
“Slight” once suggested being smooth or level, then turned into “thin” or “weak,” and finally “small in amount.” That journey shows how physical traits easily become judgments in language. When you say “slightly,” you’re quietly downplaying whatever comes next.
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