Bit — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈbit/

Meaning & Definition of Bit

Bit (noun)

  1. the biting or cutting edge or part of a tool
  2. a replaceable part of a compound tool that actually performs the function (such as drilling or boring) for which the whole tool is designed
  3. the jaws of tongs or pincers
  4. a small quantity of food; especially, a small delicacy
  5. a small piece or quantity of some material thing
  6. a coin of a specified small denomination
  7. a unit of computer information equivalent to the result of a choice between two alternatives (such as yes or no, on or off)
  8. the physical representation of a bit by an electrical pulse, a magnetized spot, or a hole whose presence or absence indicates data

Bit (verb)

  1. to put part of a bridle in the mouth of (a horse), to put a bit in the mouth of (a horse)
  2. to control as if with a bit
  3. to form a bit on (a key)

Bit (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a very small piece

    "she left only a bit of the broccoli on her plate"

    similar: atom, crumb, dribble, fleck, flyspeck, grain, granule, molecule, morsel, mote, nubbin, nugget, particle, patch, scrap, scruple, snip, snippet, speck, tittle
    related: ace, dab, dash, driblet, drop, fraction, haet (chiefly Scottish), halfpenny, ha'penny, iota, jot, kenning (chiefly Scottish), lick, minim, mite, modicum, nutshell, ounce, pinch, shred, smatter, smidgen, spot, strain, streak, suspicion, taste, touch, trace, whisper, whit, bite, mouthful, nibble, tidbit, fragment, part, portion, section, chip, flake, shard, shiver, sliver, splinter, clipping, paring, shaving, smithereens
    near: chunk, gob, hunk, lump, slab, abundance, barrel, bucket, bushel, deal, heaps, loads, mass, mountain, peck, pile, pot, profusion, quantity, raft, scads, stack, volume, wad, wealth

  2. a broken or irregular part of something that often remains incomplete

    "bits of cookie scattered on the table"

    similar: fraction, fragment, piece, scrap
    related: cantle, shred, tatter, end, leftover, oddment, remainder, remnant, stub, portion, section, segment, chip, flake, shard, shatter, shiver, sliver, splinter, clipping, paring, shaving, atom, crumb, dribble, fleck, flyspeck, grain, granule, molecule, morsel, mote, nubbin, nugget, particle, patch, scruple, snip, snippet, speck, tittle

  3. a very small amount

    "I'll have only a bit of food right now"

    similar: ace, crumb, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, hint, lick, little, mite, nip, ounce, particle, peanuts, ray, scintilla, scruple, shade, shadow, shred, skosh, smack, smell, smidgen, snap, soupçon, spark, spatter, speck, splash, spot, sprinkling, strain, streak, suspicion, tad, touch, trace, drop in the bucket
    related: hoot, iota, jot, minim, minimum, modicum, semblance, syllable, tittle, vestige, whit, atom, dot, fleck, flyspeck, grain, granule, molecule, morsel, mote, nubbin, patch, scrap, dash, drop, pinch, part, portion, section, bite, nibble, taste, handful, scattering, smatter, smattering, dose, shot, chip, flake, fragment, shard, shiver, sliver, smithereens, splinter, tatter, clipping, paring, shaving
    near: abundance, barrel, boatload, bucket, bundle, bushel, deal, fistful, gobs, heaps, lashings (chiefly British), loads, lot, mass, mess, mountain, much, oodles, passel, peck, pile, plenty, potful, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, scads, stack, wad, wealth, volume, bonanza, embarrassment, excess, overabundance, overage, overflow, overkill, overmuch, oversupply, superabundance, superfluity, surfeit, surplus, chunk, hunk, lump, slab

  4. an indefinite but usually short period of time

    "this will only take a bit"

    similar: space, spell, stretch, while
    related: lapse, season, span, day, epoch, era, beat, eyeblink, flash, heartbeat, instant, jiff, jiffy, minute, moment, nanosecond, New York minute, second, shake, split second, spurt, trice, twinkle, twinkling, wink, eon, age, eternity, infinity, perpetuity, interim, interlude, intermission, interval

  5. a performance regularly presented by an individual or group

    "known for a comedic bit in which she portrayed a very nervous student driver"

    similar: act, number, routine, shtick, turn
    related: signature

  6. something that is pleasing to eat because it is rare or a luxury

    "wielding silver trays, the servers offered partygoers a variety of exotic-looking bits"

    similar: cate (archaic), dainty, delectable, delicacy, goody, kickshaw, tidbit, treat, viand
    related: morsel, candy, dessert, junket, sweet, sweetmeat

Bit (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to be objectionable or unsatisfactory

    "man, that really bites that you have to work on the weekend"

    similar: smelled, stank, sucked (informal + sometimes impolite)
    opposite: rocked (slang), ruled (slang)

Related Entry: Bitten (verb)

Bitten is a different word from Bit. The synonyms below are for bitten, not for bit.

  1. to be objectionable or unsatisfactory

    "man, that really bites that you have to work on the weekend"

    similar: smelled, stunk, sucked (informal + sometimes impolite)
    opposite: rocked (slang), ruled (slang)

Related Entry: Bite (verb)

Bite is a different word from Bit. The synonyms below are for bite, not for bit.

  1. to be objectionable or unsatisfactory

    "man, that really bites that you have to work on the weekend"

    similar: smell, stink, suck (informal + sometimes impolite)
    opposite: rock (slang), rule (slang)

Related Entry: Bite (at) (verb)

Bite (at) is a different word from Bit. The synonyms below are for bite (at), not for bit.

  1. to consume or wear away gradually

    "the waves were biting at the sand castle I had worked so hard on"

    similar: corrode, eat, erode, fret, gnaw, nibble
    related: break down, break up, decompose, disintegrate, dissolve, decimate, destroy, devastate, ruin, waste, wreck
    near: freshen, recreate, refresh, refreshen, regenerate, rejuvenate, renew, restore, revitalize, revive

Related Entry: Bite (on) (verb)

Bite (on) is a different word from Bit. The synonyms below are for bite (on), not for bit.

  1. to crush or grind with the teeth

    "she tends to bite on her pencils when she thinks hard"

    similar: champ, chaw, chew, chomp (on), crunch (on), gnaw (on), masticate, nibble, sink one's teeth into
    related: ruminate, munch, nosh, snack, consume, eat, ingest, swallow, bolt, devour, gobble (up or down), gorge, gulp, scarf, scoff, wolf, nip, peck (at), pick (at), gum, mumble

Related Entry: Bit by bit (phrase)

Bit by bit is a different word from Bit. The synonyms below are for bit by bit, not for bit.

  1. by small steps or amounts

    "The puzzle came together bit by bit over the course of a week."

    similar: gradationally, gradually, inchmeal, little by little, piece by piece, piecemeal, by degrees, inch by inch
    related: hierarchically, crescively, increasingly, progressively, fractionally, imperceptibly, slowly
    opposite: abruptly, suddenly
    near: acutely, sharply, steeply, hastily, precipitously

Related Entry: Bit the dust (phrase)

Bit the dust is a different word from Bit. The synonyms below are for bit the dust, not for bit.

  1. to come to an end

    "Fortunately, the fad finally bit the dust and all the trend followers moved on to the next thing."

    similar: broke off, broke up, ceased, closed, concluded, dead-ended, determined, died, discontinued, elapsed, ended, expired, finished, halted, lapsed, left off, let up, passed, quit, stopped, terminated, went, winked (out), wound up
    related: desisted (from), laid off (of), refrained (from), gave over (British), knocked off, packed (up or in), broke down, conked (out), cut out, stalled, paused, stayed, suspended, abated, petered (out), wound down
    opposite: continued, hung on, persisted
    near: drew out, extended, prolonged, protracted

  2. to stop living

    "The marigolds managed to produce a few last autumn blooms before biting the dust."

    similar: checked out, conked (out), croaked (slang), deceased, demised, departed, died, dropped, ended, exited, expired, fell, flatlined, kicked in (slang), kicked off (slang), parted, passed away, passed (on), pegged out (chiefly British), perished, popped off, stepped out, succumbed, went, bought it, gave up the ghost, kicked the bucket, snuffed it (British)
    related: predeceased, consumed, disappeared, dried up, faded, failed
    opposite: breathed, lived
    near: came to, revived, lingered, existed, subsisted, was, flourished, prospered, thrived

Related Entry: A bit (phrase)

A bit is a different word from Bit. The synonyms below are for a bit, not for bit.

  1. to some degree or extent

    "It's a bit cold out there for a picnic."

    similar: enough, fairly, kindly (chiefly Southern), kind of, like, moderately, more or less, pretty, quite, rather, relatively, something, somewhat, sort of, after a sort, a little, a mite, a tad, a touch, of sorts, to a degree
    related: acceptably, decently, passably, tolerably, little, negligibly, nominally, slightly, vaguely, half, halfway, incompletely, part, partially, partly, partway
    near: awfully, beastly, deadly, especially, exceedingly, exceptionally, extremely, frightfully, greatly, heavily, highly, hugely, mightily, mortally, particularly, surpassingly, terribly, very, considerably, extensively, significantly, substantially

  2. in a very small quantity or degree

    "I'll have a medium coffee with just a bit of cream."

    similar: little, negligibly, nominally, slightly, a trifle
    related: meagerly, scantily, barely, hardly, just, marginally, minimally, scarcely
    opposite: awful, awfully, beastly, considerably, deadly, especially, exceedingly, extensively, extra, extremely, far, frightfully, full, greatly, heavily, highly, jolly, mightily, mighty, mortally, most, much, particularly, rattling, real, right, significantly, so, something, substantially, super, terribly, too, very, whacking
    near: completely, entirely, purely, thoroughly, totally, utterly, eminently, exceptionally, appreciably, discernibly, noticeably, palpably, abundantly, plentifully, generously, handsomely, liberally, astronomically, grandly, hugely, monstrously, monumentally

Related Entry: A bit much (phrase)

A bit much is a different word from Bit. The synonyms below are for a bit much, not for bit.

  1. going beyond a normal or acceptable limit in degree or amount

    "I thought the flashy decorations were a bit much for such a formal event."

    similar: baroque, devilish, excessive, exorbitant, extravagant, extreme, fancy, immoderate, inordinate, insane, intolerable, lavish, overdue, overextravagant, overmuch, over-the-top, overweening, plethoric, steep, stiff, towering, unconscionable, undue, unmerciful
    related: boundless, endless, immeasurable, infinite, limitless, unbearable, unjustifiable, unwarranted, improper, inappropriate, thick, unseemly, unrestrained
    opposite: middling, moderate, modest, reasonable, temperate
    near: deficient, inadequate, insufficient, minimal, minimum

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Bit

The most common words with a similar meaning to Bit:

Archaic: cate
Informal + sometimes impolite: sucked
atom, crumb, dribble, fleck, flyspeck, grain, granule, molecule, morsel, mote, nubbin, nugget, particle, patch, scrap, scruple, snip, snippet, speck, tittle, fraction, fragment, piece, ace, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, hint, lick, little, mite, nip, ounce, peanuts, ray, scintilla, shade, shadow, shred

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Bit

Words with the opposite meaning of Bit:

rocked, ruled

Related Words for Bit

dash, drop, haet, halfpenny, ha'penny, iota, jot, kenning, minim, modicum, nutshell, pinch, smatter, taste, whisper, whit, bite, mouthful, nibble, part, portion, section, chip, flake, shard, shiver, sliver, splinter, clipping, paring

Near Antonyms of Bit

chunk, gob, hunk, lump, slab, abundance, barrel, bucket, bushel, deal, heaps, loads, mass, mountain, peck, pile, pot, profusion, quantity, raft, scads, stack, volume, wad, wealth, boatload, bundle, fistful, gobs, lashings

Word Forms of Bit

Inflections: bitted, bitting, bits

Origin & Etymology of Bit

Middle English bite, bit "bite of an animal, cutting edge, point, mouthpiece of a bridle," going back to Old English bite "bite of an animal, cut from a weapon," going back to Germanic *biti- (whence Old Saxon biti "bite, sting," Old High German biz [gebiz "mouthpiece of a bridle"], Old Norse bit), noun derivative from the base of *bītan- "to bite" bite:1

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Bit

Words & Phrases Containing Bit

bite, bit by bit, bit rate, bit rot, bit player, a bit

Frequently Asked Questions about Bit

What does "Bit" mean?

"Bit" means the biting or cutting edge or part of a tool. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: the biting or cutting edge or part of a tool. It has 7 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Bit"?

Other words for "Bit" include atom, crumb, dribble, fleck, flyspeck, grain, granule and molecule. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Bit" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Bit"?

There are 172 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Bit". Common alternatives include atom, crumb, dribble, fleck, flyspeck, grain, granule, molecule, morsel and mote.

What is the opposite of "Bit"?

Antonyms of "Bit" include rocked and ruled. Near antonyms include chunk, gob, hunk and lump.

How do you use "Bit" in a sentence?

Examples of "Bit" in a sentence: "she left only a bit of the broccoli on her plate"; "bits of cookie scattered on the table"; "I'll have only a bit of food right now".

Is "Bit" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Bit" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Bit" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Bit" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Bit"?

"Bit" is pronounced /ˈbit/.