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Literary notes about slightly (AI summary)

In literature, "slightly" is often used as a subtle modifier that indicates a small degree of change, characteristic, or nuance. Authors deploy it to temper descriptions, making actions and traits appear understated or only marginally different. For example, a character might move or speak with only a hint of variation, as when someone "turned his head very slightly" [1] or "pressed it ever so slightly inward" [2]. This usage extends to both physical descriptions and emotional states—whether noting that a feature is "slightly open" [3] or that a mood is "slightly disheartened" [4]. Moreover, in scientific or technical contexts, slightly qualifies differences in measurements or properties, such as substances that are "slightly soluble" [5]. Thus, by qualifying adjectives and verbs in this nuanced manner, "slightly" imbues narratives with a precise, almost imperceptible gradation of meaning, allowing authors to depict delicate shifts and marginal differences with care.
  1. He turned his head very slightly at the cry; and seeing only the tall silent figure, chuckled in his deep chest.
    — from Kim by Rudyard Kipling
  2. He stayed so for a minute or two, then drew a deep breath, and pressed it ever so slightly inward.
    — from The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
  3. The door leading to Madame Sharamykin's room is slightly open and the light breaks through timidly.
    — from The Bet, and other stories by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
  4. Yet, when five hours had passed, and the Goddess whom I was inwardly visualizing had made no response, I felt slightly disheartened.
    — from Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda
  5. Acetylene is a colourless gas slightly soluble in water and very sparingly soluble in brine.
    — from The New Gresham Encyclopedia. A to Amide by Various

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