in the least

Idioms

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.

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.

We live in the least risky age in history.

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

And though the show was perfectly competent, it had a definite cash-the-check vibe, as though Malone were putting in the least possible work to satisfy his commitment.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026

The NRS said people living in some of Scotland's most deprived communities were more likely to live in poor health than those in the least deprived areas.

From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026

Coordinated expenditure limits last year for Senate candidates ranged from $123,600 in the least populated states to $3,772,100 in the most.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 7, 2025

"It can't be anything lovely. Not in the least."

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023