in the least

Idioms  

1. Also, in the slightest. At all, in the smallest degree. These terms are nearly always used in a negative context. For example, I don't care in the least what you do with the money, or It doesn't matter in the slightest whether or not you attend. [c. 1600] They may also be put as not in the least or not in the slightest, as in I am not in the least worried about the outcome, or The heat doesn't bother me in the slightest. In the least dates from about 1600; in the slightest has been used in the sense of “emphatically unimportant or trifling” since the late 1500s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

in the least

Curry made him a Bozo hiding sharp teeth, which was terrifying but not alluring in the least.

From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026

The just-completed women’s Tour de France—the Tour de France Femmes—wasn’t snoozy in the least.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

Not in the least fanciful is “Lucky,” created by Jonathan Tropper from Marissa Stapley’s substantially different novel of the same name.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

We live in the least risky age in history.

From MarketWatch ● May 6, 2026

Bateson’s “awakening” was not private in the least.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee