Particle — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ˈpär-ti-kəl/ par·ti·cle

Meaning & Definition of Particle

Particle (noun)

  1. a minute quantity or fragment
  2. a relatively small or the smallest discrete portion or amount of something
  3. a clause or article of a composition or document

Particle (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a very small amount

    "there was not a particle of truth in what she said"

    similar: ace, bit, crumb, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, hint, lick, little, mite, nip, ounce, 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

  2. a very small piece

    "a particle of cookie fell on the carpet"

    similar: atom, bit, crumb, dribble, fleck, flyspeck, grain, granule, molecule, morsel, mote, nubbin, nugget, 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

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Particle

The most common words with a similar meaning to Particle:

ace, bit, crumb, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, hint, lick, little, mite, nip, ounce, 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, atom, dribble

Related Words for Particle

hoot, iota, jot, minim, minimum, modicum, semblance, syllable, vestige, whit, dot, dash, drop, pinch, part, portion, section, bite, nibble, taste, handful, scattering, smatter, smattering, dose, shot, chip, flake, fragment, shard

Near Antonyms of Particle

abundance, barrel, boatload, bucket, bundle, bushel, deal, fistful, gobs, heaps, lashings, loads, lot, mass, mess, mountain, much, oodles, passel, peck, pile, plenty, potful, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, scads, stack, wad

Origin & Etymology of Particle

Middle English, from Latin particula, from diminutive of part-, pars

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Particle

  • Topics: Science & Research

Words & Phrases Containing Particle

particle accelerator, particle physics, alpha particle, beta particle, elementary particle, fundamental particle, J/psi particle, psi particle, W particle

Frequently Asked Questions about Particle

What does "Particle" mean?

"Particle" means a minute quantity or fragment. As a noun, it is defined as: a minute quantity or fragment. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Particle"?

Other words for "Particle" include ace, bit, crumb, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer and hint. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Particle" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Particle"?

There are 102 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Particle". Common alternatives include ace, bit, crumb, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, hint, lick and little.

How do you use "Particle" in a sentence?

Examples of "Particle" in a sentence: "there was not a particle of truth in what she said"; "a particle of cookie fell on the carpet".

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

"Particle" is a noun.

How do you pronounce "Particle"?

"Particle" is pronounced /ˈpär-ti-kəl/ and divided into syllables as par·ti·cle.

What is the origin of the word "Particle"?

"Particle" comes from Middle English, from Latin particula, from diminutive of part-, pars. First known use: 14th century.

What is another word for "Particle" meaning "a very small amount"?

When "Particle" (noun) means a very small amount, synonyms include ace, bit, crumb, dab, dram and driblet.