whit

/wɪt/ (bre, ipa) · [wˈɪt] /wɪt/ (ame, ipa) · [wˈɪt] /ˈ(h)wit How to pronounce whit (audio)/ (ame, mw)

whit — noun

1. the tiniest possible quantity of something — almost always used in the negative

1.名詞C2
釋義

the tiniest possible quantity of something — almost always used in the negative to mean 'nothing at all' or 'not even a little'

例句

Erik didn't care a whit about the outcome of the chess match.

care a whit about — fixed collocation for indifference

Apinya searched the document again but found not a whit of evidence.

not a whit of + uncountable noun

同義詞
  • bit

    much more common and can be used in both positive and negative sentences

  • shred

    similarly negative-biased but stronger; often paired with abstract nouns like 'evidence' or 'dignity'

  • iota

    also negative-biased and formal; often used with 'of truth' or 'of doubt'

  • jot

    nearly identical usage pattern to 'whit' — 'not a jot' means the same thing — but equally rare

反義詞
  • lot

    a large amount or quantity

用法筆記

Almost always used in negative sentences with 'not' or 'no.' The positive form 'a whit' is extremely rare in modern English. Common in the phrases 'not a whit' and 'not one whit,' both meaning 'not at all.'

常見錯誤

❌I have a whit of coffee left.
✅I don't have a whit of coffee left.
💡'whit' is almost never used in positive statements; it belongs in negative constructions.