in the least

Idioms

Also, in the slightest. At all, in the smallest degree. These terms are nearly always used in a negative context. For example, I don't care in the least what you do with the money, or It doesn't matter in the slightest whether or not you attend. [c. 1600] They may also be put as not in the least or not in the slightest, as in I am not in the least worried about the outcome, or The heat doesn't bother me in the slightest. In the least dates from about 1600; in the slightest has been used in the sense of “emphatically unimportant or trifling” since the late 1500s.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Other than the back wall, which consisted of mainly windows that allowed in lots of light, it was not nap-friendly in the least.

From Literature

Rowdy didn’t help the situation in the least.

From Literature

The NRS said people living in some of Scotland's most deprived communities were more likely to live in poor health than those in the least deprived areas.

From BBC

“It doesn’t resemble a pyramid in the least.”

From Literature

She insisted she was not in the least bit techy and was able to build her company after a lot of sleepless nights, research and "bugging people" who know about tech.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023