See Also: lot 1, pronoun, adverb(dictionary)
bit 1, adverb, pronoun(dictionary)
certain 2, pronoun(dictionary)
he 1, pronoun(dictionary)
there 1, pronoun(dictionary)
nobody 1, pronoun(dictionary)
none 1, pronoun(dictionary)
nothing 1, pronoun(dictionary)
pronoun(dictionary)
one 2, pronoun(dictionary)

bit 1, adverb, pronoun (oh)



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1 ?only slightly?
2 ?amount?
3 ?quite a lot?
4 ?time/distance?
5 a bit of a something
6 not a bit/not one bit
7 every bit as important/bad/good etc
8 bit by bit
9 a/one bit at a time
10 take a bit of doing/explaining etc
11 be a bit much
12 be a bit of all right
13 bit on the side
14 a bit of stuff/fluff/skirt
15 a bit of rough
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?ONLY SLIGHTLY?
a bit
especially BrE a) slightly or to a small degree
-synonym a little a little
::Could you turn the TV up a bit?
::Try to relax a bit.
::That's a bit odd.
::'Are you sorry to be leaving?' 'Yes, I am a bit.'
::Aren't you being a little bit unfair?
::I think you're a bit too young to be watching this.
::She looks a bit like my sister.
a bit better/older/easier etc
::I feel a bit better now.
b) sometimes, but not very often
::I used to act a bit when I was younger.
?AMOUNT?
a bit
especially BrE informal a small amount of a substance or of something that is not a physical object
-synonym a little a little a bit of
::I may need a bit of help.
::He still likes to do a bit of gardening.
::I want to spend a bit of time with him before he goes.
::With a bit of luck we should have finished by five o'clock.
::Everyone needs a little bit of encouragement.
::'Would you like cream in your coffee?' 'Yes please, just a bit.'
a bit more/less
::Can we have a bit less noise please?
see usage note few
?QUITE A LOT?
quite a bit
also a good bit BrE a fairly large amount or to a fairly large degree
::She's quite a bit older than you, isn't she?
::He knows quite a bit about painting.
quite a bit of
::I expect you do quite a bit of travelling?
quite a bit more/less
::They're worth quite a bit more than I thought.
?TIME/DISTANCE?
a bit
especially BrE a short period of time or a short distance
-synonym a while a while
::You'll have to wait a bit.
in a bit
::I'll see you in a bit.
for a bit
::We sat around for a bit chatting.
::I walked on a bit and then turned back.
a bit of a sth
especially BrE used to show that the way you describe something is only true to a limited degree
::The news came as a bit of a shock.
::I felt a bit of a fool.
::It looks like they left in a bit of a hurry.
not a bit/not one bit
especially BrE not at all
::You're not a bit like your brother.
::Am I cross? No, not a bit of it .
::I'm not in the least bit interested in whose fault it is.
::Well, you haven't surprised me, not one bit.
every bit as important/bad/good etc
especially BrE used to emphasize that something is equally important, bad etc as something else
::Jodi plays every bit as well as the men.
bit by bit
especially BrE gradually
::Bit by bit, I was starting to change my mind.
a/one bit at a time
especially BrE in several small parts or stages
::Try to improve your lifestyle a bit at a time.
take a bit of doing/explaining etc
BrE to be difficult to do, explain etc
::The new system took a bit of getting used to.
be a bit much
BrE to be unacceptable, impolite, or unfair
::It's a bit much when he criticizes us for doing something that he does himself.
be a bit of all right
BrE informal used to say that someone is sexually attractive
bit on the side
BrE informal someone's bit on the side is a person they are having a sexual relationship with, even though they already have a wife, husband, or partner - used humorously or to show disapproval
::She stayed in the hope that he'd tire of his bit on the side.
a bit of stuff/fluff/skirt
BrE informal not polite offensive expressions meaning a young woman, especially one who is sexually attractive
a bit of rough
BrE informal someone of a lower social class that someone has a sexual relationship with - used humorously
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WORD CHOICE: a bit, a bit of
Use a bit before an adjective, not before a noun, nor before an adjective+noun : He's a bit shy (NOT a bit shy man).
Before a noun or adjective+noun, use a bit of : Let's listen to a bit of music (NOT a bit music). | It was a bit of a strange decision (NOT a bit strange decision).
You can also use a bit after the main verb : I cried a bit (NOT a bit cried).