not in the least
25
2.0
- idiom
- I'm not in the least worried about the exam tomorrow.
- does not in the least imply
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Watch on YouTubeNot in the least, not in the least.
- Not in the least, not in the least.
Examples
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He was not in the least interested in what they were saying.
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She doesn't mind the noise, not in the least.
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Are you mad? - Not in the least.
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And I am not in the least interested in your plan.
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No, I'm not in the least bit tired.
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- I'm not in the least interested.
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Chicken, however, was not satisfied, not in the least bit.
Fiction book (2001) -
Are you not in the least concerned about the news that those schoolgirls have discovered the second ring?
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Whatever nonsense you're talking, I am not in the least interested.
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The Polish Americans were not in the least concerned with status outside of Polonia.
Academic text (1996)
Synonyms
50
4.4
Not at all, not even a little
20
3.8
Shows no effect or feeling, not even a little
16
1.3
In any way, even the smallest amount
4
9.9
Not in any way
1
9.9
A way to say that something is not true at all
Antonyms
How True
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'not at all' is directly inferable from the constituents: 'not' (negation) + 'in the least' (to the smallest degree), so a learner who knows these words can derive 'not even slightly.' The construction follows a transparent negation + minimal-degree pattern that exists across many languages and is therefore predictable for B1 learners.
Etymology
Not in the least comes from the word least, which means the smallest amount. If there is 'not in the least' of something, there is not even the tiniest bit of it, so it means 'not at all'.