A smidgen is a tiny amount of something, so small you can barely measure it. When a recipe calls for a smidgen of salt, it means just a pinch, the tiniest bit you can sprinkle between your fingers. When your dad says there's a smidgen of juice left in the carton, he means barely enough for half a glass.

The word captures that sense of almost nothing but not quite. If you're a smidgen taller than your friend, the difference is so slight you'd need to measure carefully to even notice. If you have a smidgen of doubt about your answer on a test, you're pretty confident but not 100% sure.

People use smidgen when they want to emphasize how small something is, often in a friendly or casual way. It's more colorful than saying “a little bit” and suggests the amount is so tiny it's almost not worth mentioning. Similar words include tad, touch, and hint, though smidgen might be the smallest of all. When someone asks if you want more dessert and you say “just a smidgen,” you're asking for the smallest serving possible.