Bit I Bɪt Extra Examples Pieces Time Small

• these trousers are a bit tight.
• ‘are you tired?’ ‘yes, i am a bit.’
• i was a bit disappointed by the film.
• it costs a bit more than i wanted to spend.

bit

1. rather; to some extent
• SYNONYM a little
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/little_2#little_sng_9
• These trousers are a bit tight.
• ‘Are you tired?’ ‘Yes, I am a bit.’
• I was a bit disappointed by the film.
• It costs a bit more than I wanted to spend.
• The future looks a little bit brighter this morning.
• I felt a wee bit guilty about it.
• I can lend you fifty pounds, if you want. That should help a bit.

Extra Examples

• I'm still just a bit confused.
• He helped me a little bit in the afternoon.
2. a short time or distance
• Wait a bit!
• Can you move up a bit?
• Greg thought for a bit before answering.
• See you in a bit.
3. a small amount or piece of something
• Here are some useful bits of information.
• I have a bit of good news for you.
• Let me give you a little bit of advice.
• With a bit of luck, we'll be there by 12.
• I've got a bit of shopping to do.
• bits of paper/wood/plastic

Extra Examples

• Here's a bit of news that may interest you.
• Do you want a bit of pizza?
• Can you save me a bit?
• A big bit of plaster just fell down from the ceiling.
• She tore the letter up and threw it on the floor. Marion stooped to pick up the bits.
• I've bought a nice bit of fish for dinner.
• I'm worried because bits keep falling off my car.
• He managed to get odd bits of work, but no regular job.
4. a part of something larger
• The best bit of the holiday was seeing the Grand Canyon.
• I read it, but I missed out the boring bits.
• I like the bit about owls in the first chapter.

Extra Examples

• Listen to the interview again and pick out the bits you want to use in the article.
• The school play was a huge success—the audience roared with laughter at all the funny bits.
5. a large amount
• ‘How much does he earn?’ ‘Quite a bit!’
• It rained a fair bit during the night.
• The new system will take a bit of getting used to (= it will take a long time to get used to).

Extra Examples

• ‘Has it been difficult for you at work?’ ‘Just a bit (= it has been very difficult).’
• We made a good bit of progress.
6. the smallest unit of information used by a computer
7. a metal bar that is put in a horse’s mouth so that the rider can control it
8. a tool or part of a tool for drilling (= making) holes
• SEE ALSO drill
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/drill_2
9. an amount of money equal to 12½ cents
10. a person’s sexual organs
11. to be very sad or worried
• Inside I'm in bits because I miss him so much.
• I’m in bits about the problems I’ve had.
• She was in bits over her decision to quit.
12. behaviour or ideas that are typical of a particular group, type of person or activity
• She couldn't accept the whole drug-culture bit.
13. a piece at a time; gradually
• He assembled the model aircraft bit by bit.
• Bit by bit memories of the night came back to me.
14. not fair or not reasonable
• It's a bit much calling me at three in the morning.
• The noise from next door is getting a bit much.
15. used when talking about unpleasant or negative things or ideas, to mean ‘rather a…’
• We may have a bit of a problem on our hands.
• The rail strike is a bit of a pain.
16. a person that you think is sexually attractive
• Dave’s new girlfriend is a bit of all right, isn’t she?
17. a person of a low social class who has a sexual relationship with somebody of a higher class
18. the boyfriend or girlfriend of somebody who is already married or in a steady sexual relationship with somebody else
• Is he your bit on the side?
19. small objects or items of various kinds
• She stuffed all her bits and pieces into a bag and left.
• I just need to get a few bits and pieces at the supermarket.
20. to use bombs or other weapons to destroy somebody/something completely
• The plane was blown to pieces when the bomb exploded.
21. impatient to do or start doing something
• Gerry’s champing at the bit to go to college.
22. to do your share of a task
• We can finish this job on time if everyone does their bit.
23. just as good, bad, etc.; equally good, bad, etc.
• Rome is every bit as beautiful as Paris.
• He’s every bit as clever as she is.
24. to become very enthusiastic about something that you have started to do so that you are unlikely to stop until you have finished
25. not at all; not in any way
• ‘Are you cold?’ ‘Not a bit.’
• It's not a bit of use (= there's no point in) complaining.
• I'm not the least bit interested in football.
• I don't like that idea one bit.
26. used for saying that something that you had expected to happen did not happen
• You'd think she'd be tired after the journey but not a bit of it!
27. not any
• He didn't take a blind bit of notice of me (= he ignored me).
• It won't make the blindest bit of difference (= it will make no difference at all).
28. not at all
• Normally I'm not the least bit shy.
• He wasn't the slightest bit interested in answering our questions.
29. into small pieces
• The book fell to bits in my hands.
• All the crockery had been smashed to bits.
• She took the engine to bits, then carefully put it together again.
30. very much
• I love my kids to bits.
• She was thrilled to bits when I said I'd come.

Word Origin

• senses 1 to 5 and senses 9 to 10 Old English bita ‘bite, mouthful’, of Germanic origin; related to German Bissen, also to bite.