modest vs slight

modest

adj
  • Small, moderate in size. 

  • Intending to avoid the encouraging of sexual attraction in others. 

  • Not bragging or boasting about oneself or one's achievements; unpretentious, humble. 

  • Pure and delicate from a sense of propriety. 

slight

adj
  • of slender build 

  • still; with little or no movement on the surface 

  • Even, smooth or level 

  • not far away in space or time 

  • gentle or weak, not aggressive or powerful 

  • not thorough; superficial 

  • trifling; unimportant; insignificant 

verb
  • To act negligently or carelessly. 

  • To treat with disdain or neglect, usually out of prejudice, hatred, or jealousy; to ignore disrespectfully. 

  • To treat as unimportant or not worthy of attention; to make light of. 

  • To render no longer defensible by full or partial demolition. 

  • To give lesser weight or importance to. 

  • To throw heedlessly. 

noun
  • The act of ignoring or snubbing; a deliberate act of neglect or discourtesy. 

How often have the words modest and slight occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )