- 1(abbreviation in.) a unit for measuring length, equal to 2.54 centimeters. There are 12 inches in a foot 1.14 inches of rain fell last night. She's a few inches taller than me. a fat envelope about half an inch thick Since I started jogging I've lost three and a half inches around my waist.
- 2a small amount or distance He escaped death by an inch. The car missed us by inches. He was just inches away from scoring.
- 1the whole of something The doctor examined every inch of his body. (figurative) If they try to fire me, I'll fight them every inch of the way.
- 2completely In his first game, the young player already looked every inch a winner.
used to say that if you allow some people a small amount of freedom or power they will see you as weak and try to take a lot more
very slowly and with great care or difficulty She crawled forward inch by inch.
to refuse to change your position, decision, etc. even a little We tried to negotiate a lower price but they wouldn't budge an inch.
to not trust someone at all He says he just wants to help you but I wouldn't trust him an inch if I were you.
very close to something/doing something She was within an inch of being killed. They beat him (to) within an inch of his life (= very severely).
Check pronunciation: inch