a bit like
39
2.4
- idiom
:
un poco como
- "In a way, she was a bit like a sister, wasn't she?" Ned said.
- sounds a bit like
- looks a bit like
- feels a bit like
Not to be too dramatic, but this is a bit like nuclear war.
- Not to be too dramatic, but this is a bit like nuclear war.
- Spend your time with people who think a bit like you forward thinking what's next.
- It's almost this just period of time for a bit like a sleep hangover the first hour.
- So they are a bit like what we call a set, right.
- You can think about our sleep and wake systems as a bit like a seesaw.
- Sometimes the Christmas ones, they're a bit like, dare I say tacky.
- It's not completely straightforward and a bit like what I said earlier about Tommy.
Examples
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In that respect, spiders are a bit like you and me.
-
The volunteer throws a switch on a machine that looks a bit like a floor buffer.
Fiction book (1993) -
People say I sing a bit like him too.
-
You do look a bit like your father.
-
It's a bit like a hot pot.
-
James doesn't look a bit like you, does he?
-
Well, it's actually quite a bit like peanut butter, almost identical.
-
At a glance, NIH Image looks a bit like a paint program.
Academic text (1994) -
The fruit looks a bit like an orange but has a much sweeter taste.
-
Her style of painting is a bit like the famous artist's, with bright colors and bold strokes.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Having some of the same qualities as another person or thing but not exactly the same
∞
3.5
Close in type or number to something mentioned
534
1.0
Having a similar appearance or quality
259
2.0
A thing like the one just mentioned
72
3.9
Similar in feeling or quality to something
60
3.9
Similar in style or idea to something
56
5.3
Like something else in style or appearance
Antonyms
How Similar
Surface Forms
Morphology
The sense 'somewhat similar to' follows directly from combining 'bit' (a small amount) with 'like' (similar), with 'a' as a minimal determiner; together they form a straightforward degree phrase meaning 'a little similar'. This compositional pattern is common and cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
The expression a bit like comes from the simple idea of a small piece: a bit of one thing reminds you of something else, and the word like shows the comparison, so it means 'somewhat similar to'.