一寸|いっすんissun[3]nakadaka (mid-high)

1. nounone sun (approx. 3 cm)
   一いち寸すんの虫むしにも五ご分ぶんの魂たましい。↗

   The worm turns.
2. noun, adverblittle bit (of time, distance, etc.)

• SynonymわずかNeutralA na-adjective or adverb for a mere, tiny amount, as in 「わずかな差」 or 「わずか三日」; its range of use is broader than 「一寸」.
• Synonym少しすこしNeutralThe most all-purpose adverb for a little or a short while, as in 「少し休む」; 「一寸」 is largely confined to set phrases like 「一寸先」.
• Synonym少々しょうしょうNeutralA polite, formal way to say a little or a moment, as in 「少々お待ちください」, typical of service settings.
• SynonymいささかWrittenA written adverb for somewhat, as in 「いささか疑問だ」, with a softening nuance; with a negative it means not at all.
• SynonymちょびっとCasualA colloquial adverb for a tiny bit, as in 「ちょびっとだけ」, with a playful, cute tone stressing the small amount.
• Related心持ちこころもちNeutralAs an adverb it means slightly, as in 「心持ち右へ」, for fine adjustments; 「一寸」 now mostly appears in set phrases like 「一寸先」.
• Related幾分いくぶんWrittenA written adverb meaning to some extent, as in 「幾分楽になった」, describing a change in degree; 「一寸」 figuratively denotes a very short distance or time.
• RelatedややWrittenA written adverb for slightly, as in 「やや大きい」 or 「やや遠い」, describing degree objectively and also length or distance; 「一寸」 is mostly a noun for a very short distance.
• Related多少たしょうNeutralAs an adverb it means slightly, as in 「多少違う」, and as a noun it refers to amount, as in 「多少の違い」; 「一寸」 suggests an extremely small quantity.
• RelatedちょいCasualA slangy adverb for a little, often a prefix as in 「ちょい足し」 or 「ちょい悪」; 「一寸」 appears in idiom-like phrases.
• Related若干じゃっかんWrittenMeans an unspecified but small number, as in 「若干名」 or 「若干の変更」, common in documents; 「一寸」 figuratively covers short distance or time.
• RelatedちっとCasualAn older colloquial adverb for a little or a short while, rarely used today; 「一寸」 is originally a unit of length used figuratively for a tiny amount.
• Related心なしかこころなしかNeutralMeans it somehow seems that way, perhaps one's imagination, as in 「心なしか元気がない」; it is about subjective impression, not quantity.
• RelatedちょっくらCasualA folksy, casual word for a moment, as in 「ちょっくら行ってくる」; it has nothing to do with the length sense of 「一寸」.
• Related心なしこころなしWrittenA written noun for imagination or illusion, usually in the form 「心なしか」 and rarely alone; it does not denote a specific small amount.
• RelatedぽっちりCasualA colloquial mimetic adverb for a tiny bit, as in 「ぽっちりの量」, not common; it stresses how tiny the amount is.
• RelatedもそっとCasualAn old-fashioned colloquialism for a little more, as in 「もそっと近う」, seen mainly in period dramas; it implies an increase.
• Related少しくすこしくWrittenAn older written adverb for slightly, as in 「少しく異なる」; today one would say 「少し」.
• RelatedちいとCasualA dialectal colloquialism for a little or a short while, as in 「ちいと待って」; rare in standard Japanese.
• RelatedちびっとCasualA dialectal colloquialism for just a bit, as in 「ちびっと飲む」, stressing the small quantity.
• AntonymだいぶNeutralAn adverb for considerably or quite a lot, as in 「だいぶ良くなった」; it stands opposite to the tiny-amount sense of 「一寸」.
• AntonymたくさんNeutralMeans a large quantity, as in 「たくさん食べる」, and also enough or plenty; it is the opposite of the tiny-amount 「一寸」.

「一寸」 is originally a unit of length, about 3 cm, used figuratively for an extremely short distance or time, mostly in set phrases like 「一寸先は闇」 and 「一寸たりとも」. For everyday 'a little' say 「少し」, in written prose 「やや」; 「少々」 is the polite choice in service settings, 「わずか」 stresses a mere amount, and the opposite is 「たくさん」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 一いち尺しゃくの十じゅう分ぶんの一いち。約やく3㎝。
2. ほんのわずかな物ものの例たとえ。