noun
whit
wiht
noun
1
The smallest possible amount; a tiny bit.
"He didn't care a whit about what people thought of him."
How to Use Whit
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA very tiny amount — used mainly in the negative, as in "not a whit".
Common mistake
Almost always used in negative phrases like "not a whit" or "not one whit"; rarely stands alone in positive statements.
Common pairings
not a whit
not one whit
Word Forms
whits plural, Whits plural
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He didn't care a _____ about what people thought of him.
Etymology
From Old English wiht, "a thing" or "a creature" — the same root that also produced the word "wight"; over time it narrowed to mean the smallest conceivable amount of something.