modicum

noun

ˈmä-di-kəm How to pronounce modicum (audio)
Definition of modicumnext
as in damn
the smallest amount or part imaginable only a modicum of skill is necessary to put the kit together

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of modicum The Mystic of my childhood, though, had a modicum of edge — kids with anarchy symbols on their jackets skateboarded outside a coffee shop that reeked of weed, and locals got rowdy at a dysfunctional watering hole called the Draw Bridge Inne. — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2026 An adventure without a modicum of agenda, absent any aspirations, aberrant or apposite. — Padgett Powell, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026 Skipping the oven and the stove for meals during the dog days also ensures a mere modicum of effort. — Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 29 June 2026 To adore the literary greats but reject any modicum of pretension? — Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for modicum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for modicum
  1. damn
  2. whit
  3. lick
  4. shred
  5. hoot
Noun
  • Trump is not a successful deal maker, because no deal Trump makes is worth a damn.
    — Chris Brennan, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • And if that is to be the case, most Chicagoans do not give a damn whether the team goes to Arlington Heights or Hammond.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2026
Definition of damn
Noun
  • His adoration, here as in all things natural, is infectious, although the birds themselves care not a whit for him, and isn’t that part of the wonder, the fun?
    — Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
  • An unconventional structure or new approach bothers them not a whit.
    — Mac Barnett, Longreads, 5 May 2026
Definition of whit
Noun
  • As extra consumer bait, the double album closed with this new studio cut built around a killer Schon lick (and not much else).
    — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Still, the 7-foot-3 giant still got his licks in on Mysterio.
    — Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of lick
Noun
  • Some of these cabinet members have even maintained, without a shred of evidence, that Syria’s president, the former jihadist Ahmed al-Shara, is preparing to attack Israel.
    — Amos Harel, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2026
  • But Michael Sanft, Davis’ defense lawyer, argued that the prosecution had no forensics, no eyewitness and not a single shred of physical evidence placing Davis in the Cadillac with the shooter.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of shred
Noun
  • Church bells, owl hoots and sprinklers keeping the grass hydrated during this dry spell fill the space between the occasional motor trudging along a main road devoid of commotion.
    — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • What a hoot that was — eight Hall of Famers paired with professional anglers and competing for the biggest bass.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of hoot

Browse Nearby Words

modesty
modicum
modicums
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Cite this Entry

“Modicum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/modicum. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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