Our evidence is no more than a tiny sliver of solid knowledge amidst the vast bog of doubts and speculations.
Source: tatoeba (1989389)
Sliver
/ˈslɪv.ɚ/
Synonyms for "sliver" (109 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (22)
Strong matches (33)
Related words (54)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: splinter, a bit, bit, black sheep, blemish.
- Sentence evidence is available for sliver, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, derived_reverse, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "sliver".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "sliver"
Keep "sliver" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "sliver" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "sliver", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "sliver" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
23 entriesShowing 16 of 23 words.
More specific
10 entriesCollocations
8 entriessliver of glasssliver of hopesliver of icesliver of lightsliver of metalsliver of plasticsliver of truthsliver of wood
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
3 entriesTranslations
47 translations across 24 languages.
Bulgarian
1 entries- треска noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 裂片 noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
Czech
3 entries- odřezek noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
- odštěpek noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
- tříska noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
Finnish
2 entries- säle noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
- tikku noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
French
2 entries- écharde noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
- éclat noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
Galician
2 entries- acha noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
- estela noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
German
4 entries- Splitter noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
- Spreißel noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
- kleiner Teil noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
- kleines Stück noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
Icelandic
2 entries- flaski noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
- flís noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
Italian
4 entries- frammento noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
- scaglia noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
- scheggia noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
- spezzone noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
Korean
1 entries- 조각 noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
Latgalian
2 entries- skaida noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
- ževers noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
Latvian
1 entries- skaida noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
Māori
2 entries- hōripi noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
- kōripi noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
Plautdietsch
1 entries- Spekja noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
Portuguese
1 entries- lasca noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
Romanian
2 entries- așchie noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
- surcea noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
Russian
2 entries- оско́лок noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
- ще́пка noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
Slovak
2 entries- trieska noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
- štiepka noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
Slovene
1 entries- trska noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
Spanish
4 entries- astilla noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
- esquirla noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
- rebanadita noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
- tira noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
Swedish
3 entries- flisa noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
- speta noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
- sticka noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
Tocharian B
1 entries- ṣat noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
Turkish
2 entries- ince dilim noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
- kıymık noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
Zazaki
1 entries- qırm noun (long piece cut or rent off; a sharp, slender fragment)
Sample sentences
11 total sentences available.
I'd only like a sliver, please.
Source: tatoeba (10322426)
I'll take a sliver of the cake.
Source: tatoeba (10322427)
There's a sliver of hope in this week's news, at least.
Source: tatoeba (10322428)
Showing 4 of 11 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "sliver"?
Closest matches include splinter, a bit, bit, black sheep, blemish.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "sliver"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.