a bit of a/an

idiom

—used to make a statement or description less forceful or definite

I had a bit of a shock when I saw him.

He's a bit of a rascal.

Examples of a bit of a/an in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This reboot is a bit of a mess — too many side characters, a story that has so much going on that the film ends up inevitably feeling a bit baggy — but Gunn brings a sweetness back to Superman that was missing during the Snyder years. —Tim Grierson, Vulture, 11 July 2025

Adam is tied for the MLB lead with 46 appearances, has a sparkling 1.74 ERA and was a bit of a surprise selection on Sunday if the Padres were only going to get one reliever from baseball’s second-best bullpen (3.28 ERA) into the All-Star Game. —Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 July 2025

Chartreuse Made by actual French monks based on a nearly 300-year-old secret recipe, this high-proof, kelly green spirit is a bit of an obscure flex. —Amiel Stanek, Bon Appetit Magazine, 11 July 2025

James not reaching out to Ayton is a bit of a surprising piece of news. —Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025