a bit
Idioms-
A small amount of anything; also, a short period of time. For example, Here's a bit of wrapping paper , or It'll be ready in a bit , or Just wait a bit . [c. 1600]
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Somewhat or rather, as in It stings a bit , or Will you have a bit more to eat? [Second half of 1600s] Also see bit by bit ; not a bit .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The first step is to sauté leeks and garlic in olive oil, butter and, crucially, a bit of white miso.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
Kennedy’s version is a bit different since he also eats fermented foods like sauerkraut.
From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026
Sometimes I add a bit of still-relatively-affordable chorizo first — not for bulk, but for richness and spice — though soyrizo, which is often slightly more expensive, works beautifully here too.
From Salon • May 19, 2026
“We have to adhere to the law because we know if we cross that line, even a fraction for a bit, we know they’ll crush us.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
I was a bit worried about it at first—whether anyone would mind, how he’d get on with all the old folks—but he loved it, and as it turned out, so did they.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
