Inch — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈinch/

Meaning & Definition of Inch

Inch (noun)

  1. a unit of length equal to 1/36 yard
  2. a small amount, distance, or degree
  3. stature, height
  4. island

Inch (verb)

  1. to move by small degrees, progress slowly
  2. to cause to move slowly

Inch (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a very small distance or degree

    "give them an inch, and they'll take a mile"

    similar: ace, hair, hairbreadth, hairline, hop, skip, and jump, neck, shouting distance, step, stone's throw
    related: bit, crumb, dab, iota, jot, minim, mite, particle, smidgen, trace, trifle
    opposite: country mile, long haul, mile
    near: infinity, light-year

  2. an individual part of a process, series, or ranking

    "inch by inch, we're making progress toward our fund-raising goal"

    similar: chapter, cut, degree, grade, notch, peg, phase, place, point, stage, step
    related: angle, aspect, facet, side, amount, measure, plane, decrement, increment

  3. the distance of something or someone from bottom to top

    "made the most of her inches by standing on her tiptoes to reach the top shelf"

    similar: altitude, elevation, height, stature
    related: rise, highness, loftiness, tallness

Inch (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to advance gradually beyond the usual or desirable limits

    "every year the water inches further up the embankments, threatening to permanently engulf the island city"

    similar: creep, encroach, worm
    related: snake, sneak, entrench, impinge, infringe, intrude, invade, overpass, overreach, overrun, overshoot, overstep

  2. to move slowly

    "the car inched carefully across the snow-covered causeway"

    similar: crawl, creak (along), creep, drag, limp, nose, ooze, plod, poke, slouch, snail
    related: lumber, shamble, shuffle, tramp, trudge
    opposite: fly, race, speed, whiz, zip
    near: float, glide, sail, hurry, tear

Related Entry: Inch by inch (phrase)

Inch by inch is a different word from Inch. The synonyms below are for inch by inch, not for inch.

  1. by small steps or amounts

    "We watched the plant grow inch by inch."

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

Related Entry: Within an inch of (phrase)

Within an inch of is a different word from Inch. The synonyms below are for within an inch of, not for inch.

  1. very close to but not completely

    "I was within an inch of winning the Scrabble tournament when my opponent played "quatorze" on a triple for 128 points."

    similar: about, all but, almost, borderline, fair (chiefly British), fairly, feckly (chiefly Scottish), more or less, most, much, near, nearly, next to, nigh, practically, somewhere, virtually, well-nigh, as good as, just about, pretty much
    related: appreciably, by and large, chiefly, largely, mainly, mostly, kind of, partially, partly, somewhat
    near: absolutely, altogether, completely, entirely, fully, plain, plumb (chiefly dialect), quite, thoroughly, totally, utterly, well, wholly, barely, hardly, scarcely

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Inch

The most common words with a similar meaning to Inch:

ace, hair, hairbreadth, hairline, hop, skip, and jump, neck, shouting distance, step, stone's throw, chapter, cut, degree, grade, notch, peg, phase, place, point, stage, altitude, elevation, height, stature, creep, encroach, worm, crawl, creak (along), drag, limp, nose, ooze, plod, poke, slouch, snail

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Inch

Words with the opposite meaning of Inch:

country mile, long haul, mile, fly, race, speed, whiz, zip

Related Words for Inch

bit, crumb, dab, iota, jot, minim, mite, particle, smidgen, trace, trifle, angle, aspect, facet, side, amount, measure, plane, decrement, increment, rise, highness, loftiness, tallness, snake, sneak, entrench, impinge, infringe, intrude

Near Antonyms of Inch

infinity, light-year, float, glide, sail, hurry, tear

Word Forms of Inch

Inflections: inched, inching, inches

Origin & Etymology of Inch

Middle English, from Old English ynce, from Latin uncia ounce

First known use: before 12th century

Words & Phrases Containing Inch

inch by inch, inch plant, acre-inch, every inch, within an inch of, every inch of, every inch of the way

Frequently Asked Questions about Inch

What does "Inch" mean?

"Inch" means a unit of length equal to 1/36 yard. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a unit of length equal to 1/36 yard. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Inch"?

Other words for "Inch" include ace, hair, hairbreadth, hairline, hop, skip, and jump, neck, shouting distance and step. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Inch" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Inch"?

There are 77 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Inch". Common alternatives include ace, hair, hairbreadth, hairline, hop, skip, and jump, neck, shouting distance, step, stone's throw and chapter.

What is the opposite of "Inch"?

Antonyms of "Inch" include country mile, long haul, mile, fly, race, speed, whiz and zip. Near antonyms include infinity, light-year, float and glide.

How do you use "Inch" in a sentence?

Examples of "Inch" in a sentence: "give them an inch, and they'll take a mile"; "inch by inch, we're making progress toward our fund-raising goal"; "made the most of her inches by standing on her tiptoes to reach the top shelf".

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

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

How do you pronounce "Inch"?

"Inch" is pronounced /ˈinch/.

What is the origin of the word "Inch"?

"Inch" comes from Middle English, from Old English ynce, from Latin uncia ounce. First known use: before 12th century.