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 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 And control falls to executives who don’t have a modicum of Spielberg’s talent? — Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 22 June 2026 Slingsby acknowledged that the Bonds Flying Roos had enjoyed a modicum of luck, although there’s no denying that the Australians continue to set a benchmark that no other team can match. — Andrew Rice, New York Times, 21 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
  • Opening with the title track, feedback-heavy licks set the temperature as Dillom catches us up on the escapades of recent years.
    — Richard Villegas, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026
  • But for healthy kids and adults, the occasional lick is fine, experts say.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of lick
Noun
  • Shouts of awe echoed behind as the final shred of the solar disk created a magnificent Diamond ring flare effect on the trailing edge of the lunar disk.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The food is stellar, as is the service, but there isn’t a shred of pretence about any of it.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of shred
Noun
  • Ranging from the sound of emergency sirens and birds screeching to low grunts and guttural hoots, their vocalizations reverberate from a sanctuary in the hot, dry hills of the Santa Clarita Valley, north of Los Angeles.
    — Jaimie Ding, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The End of Oak Street is a hoot and a half, but its resolutions yield far more questions than actual answers.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 13 Aug. 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 30 Aug. 2026.

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