30 Words for Small Amounts

30 Words for Small Amounts 30 Words for Small Amounts 30 Words for Small Amounts By Mark Nichol Words that refer to small amounts or objects are frequently associated with specific idioms or a certain connotation. Here are many of those words included in sample phrasings that suggest the sense in which they are often used. 1. Bit: â€Å"a bit of a problem† 2. Crumb: â€Å"a crumb of self-respect† 3. Dab: â€Å"a dab of whipped cream† 4. Dash: â€Å"a dash of pepper† 5. Fleck: â€Å"a fleck of dirt† 6. Glimmer: â€Å"a glimmer of hope† 7. Hint: â€Å"a hint of cinnamon† 8. Iota: â€Å"an iota of sense† 9. Jot: â€Å"a jot of truth† 10. Lick: â€Å"a lick of sense† 11. Modicum: â€Å"a modicum of talent† 12. Morsel: â€Å"a morsel of cheese† 13. Nugget: â€Å"a nugget of wisdom† 14. Pinch: â€Å"a pinch of salt† 15. Scrap: â€Å"a scrap of food† 16. Scruple: â€Å"a scruple of suspicion† 17. Shadow: â€Å"a shadow of a doubt† 18. Shred: â€Å"a shred of evidence† 19. Sliver: â€Å"a sliver of sunlight† 20. Smatter(ing): â€Å"a smattering of laughter† 21. Smidgen (or smidge): â€Å"a smidgen of salt† 22. Snippet: â€Å"a snippet of the conversation† 23. Spot: â€Å"a spot of rain† 24. Sprinkling: â€Å"a sprinkling of action† 25. Strain: â€Å"a strain of weakness† 26. Streak: â€Å"a streak of cruelty† 27. Tidbit: â€Å"a tidbit of information† 28. Touch: â€Å"a touch of humor† 29. Trace: â€Å"a trace of incense† 30. Whisper: â€Å"a whisper of autumn† Some synonyms are seen only in negative connotations, such as â€Å"not worth a continental† (referring to the nearly worthless currency of the fledgling US government during the Revolutionary War) or â€Å"not worth peanuts.† Similar expressions include â€Å"I don’t care a whit† or â€Å"I don’t give a rap† (or â€Å"fig† or â€Å"hoot† or any of several other words) or â€Å"diddly-squat† or â€Å"I don’t know bupkes.† (Each of the latter two usages has several variant spellings.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How Many Tenses in English?Five Spelling Rules for "Silent Final E"5 Ways to Reduce Use of Prepositions