even a little
63
1.3
- idiom
:
aunque sea un poco
- Don't you love me even a little?
- even a little bit
- maybe even a little
- even a little more
And that means they're a bookworm or maybe even a little pedantic.
- And that means they're a bookworm or maybe even a little pedantic.
- You feel better and maybe even a little proud of what you can do now.
- If an actor screws up even a little bit, Cicero says, they've screwed up.
- It could be anything like it will be nicer than this and maybe even a little bit deeper.
Examples
-
Weren't you even a little bit scared?
-
You're the first person who's ever believed in me even a little bit.
-
You feel better and maybe even a little proud of what you can do now.
-
- Another line? - Not even a little.
-
- Not even a little bit? - No, no.
-
If he could help the horse, even a little, maybe he could help them all?
Fiction book (1995) -
When we did, things went fine, maybe even a little better than fine.
Fiction book (2000) -
But losing someone, even a little, even for a moment, felt awful to her.
Fiction book (1999) -
You need to transition slowly over one to three weeks, maybe even a little longer.
-
I don't understand this concept, not even a little.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
It means in any way or to any extent and often makes negative sentences and questions stronger
46
4.4
Not at all, not even a little
19
3.8
Shows no effect or feeling, not even a little
Antonyms
How Much
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to any extent at all / in the slightest degree' is compositionally derived from 'even' (an intensifier/emphatic adverb) combined with 'a little' (a small amount). This is a common adverbial intensification pattern (the article 'a' just forms the quantifier), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Even a little creates a simple image: the words even and little ask whether the tiniest bit exists, like one drop or a small crumb. So, it means 'to any extent at all'.