ENGLISH
REFERENCE

bit

n. countable
A2 Elementary Oxford US //ˈbɪt// UK //bˈɪt// bit Archaic General-service Informal Slang

n. a small piece or amount of something. You can also use it to talk about a short period of time.

n. a small portion, degree, or amount of something; a short period of time. Often functions as part of a partitive construction.


SIMPLE

I have a bit of work to finish before dinner.

CONTEXTUAL

The mechanic explained that the repair would take a bit of time because he needed to order a specific part.

COMPLEX

While the initial results showed a bit of promise, the researchers cautioned that further testing was required to confirm the long-term stability of the chemical compound.

Synonyms
Usage

Commonly used in the partitive construction 'a bit of' followed by an uncountable noun or a singular noun.

Pitfall

I am a bit tired of waitI am a bit tired of waitingWhen 'a bit' is used within a prepositional phrase like 'tired of', the following verb must be in the gerund (-ing) form.

Idioms6 entries

© 2026 English Reference