morsel
gb/mˈɔɹsəl/ us/mˈɔɹsəl/
B2
English
~ 9100
falat, falatka, morzsányi, szemernyi, jó falat, finom falat
NOUN
B2
1
Usage pattern:
a morsel of [food]
She ate the last morsel of cake and sighed happily.
Megette a sütemény utolsó falatját, és elégedetten felsóhajtott.
He dropped a morsel of bread on the floor for the dog.
Ledobott a kutyának egy falat kenyeret a földre.
The cheese was cut into tiny morsels for the tasting.
Not a single morsel was left on their plates.
He savored each morsel as if it were his last meal.
Learner examples
He gave the hungry cat a morsel of fish.
Adott az éhes macskának egy falat halat.
There was only one small morsel of bread on the table.
Az asztalon csak egy kis falat kenyér volt.
She put a morsel of chocolate in her mouth.
The child ate every morsel on his plate.
I was so hungry that even a little morsel helped.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'morsel' for any piece of something, but in modern English it is used mainly for food and is less common in everyday casual speech than words like 'piece' or 'bit'.
Meaning
a small piece of food
Collocations
a morsel of bread
|tiny morsel
|tasty morsel
|a morsel of meat
|every last morsel
|spare a morsel
Synonyms
bite (Suggests the amount you take into your mouth once; more everyday and common.)
|
mouthful (Often slightly larger than a morsel and focuses on how much fits in the mouth at one time.)
|
bit (Very general word for a small piece of something, not only food.)
Antonyms
chunk (A noticeably large piece of food, the opposite of a very small piece.)
Themes
food
|daily life
|food_drink
|daily_life
Definition
A very small piece of food that you can eat in one bite.
A small, bite-sized piece of food.
NOUN
C1
2
Usage pattern:
a morsel of [abstract noun]
The police refused to release even a morsel of information about the case.
A rendőrség egy morzsányi információt sem volt hajlandó nyilvánosságra hozni az ügyről.
Her story contained a morsel of truth but was mostly invented.
A történetében volt egy szemernyi igazság, de nagyrészt kitaláció volt.
In that dark time, his friend’s visit was a small morsel of comfort.
The report does not offer a single morsel of evidence to support its claims.
He clung to the last morsel of hope that she might return.
Learner examples
The news article gave only a morsel of information.
A hírcikk csak egy morzsányi információt közölt.
There is not even a morsel of truth in that story.
Abban a történetben egy szemernyi igazság sincs.
Her kind words were a morsel of comfort to him.
He looked for any morsel of hope in the bad situation.
They shared every morsel of information they had.
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'morsel' can replace 'piece' in all situations. In modern English, this abstract use is mostly in fixed phrases like 'a morsel of information' or 'a morsel of truth', and it sounds more literary or formal than 'a bit of information'.
Meaning
a small amount of something
Collocations
a morsel of information
|a morsel of truth
|a morsel of comfort
|a morsel of hope
|every morsel of information
|the smallest morsel of evidence
Synonyms
scrap (Suggests a very small and often unsatisfying amount of something, both concrete and abstract.)
|
fragment (Emphasizes something broken into tiny parts, often used for information, stories, or memories.)
|
hint (Focuses on a small, indirect amount of information or suggestion, not just size.)
Antonyms
abundance (Means a very large quantity of something, the opposite of a very small amount.)
Themes
communication
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A very small amount of something that you cannot touch, like information, truth, or comfort.
A very small amount of something, especially something non-physical such as information, truth, or comfort.
NOUN
C2
INFORMAL
3
jó falat
C1
finom falat
C1
Usage pattern:
a (tasty) little morsel
In the novel, the hero describes her as a 'tasty little morsel,' showing his shallow attitude.
A regényben a hős „finom kis falatnak” nevezi, ami jól mutatja sekélyes hozzáállását.
The phrase 'tasty morsel' used about a woman now sounds dated and objectifying.
A nőre használt „finom falat” kifejezés ma már idejétmúltnak és tárgyiasítónak hangzik.
He embarrassed himself by referring to his date as a 'little morsel' in front of her friends.
Learner examples
Calling a person a 'morsel' can sound rude.
Ha valakit „falatnak” nevezünk, az bántóan hathat.
The man in the story calls the woman a 'tasty morsel'.
A történetben a férfi „finom falatnak” nevezi a nőt.
Today, many people do not like this use of the word 'morsel'.
In some old films, a man may call a woman a 'little morsel'.
Common mistake:
Learners might misunderstand this as a normal compliment. In modern English, calling a person a 'morsel' is rare and usually sounds old-fashioned, humorous, or objectifying, so it is better to avoid using it.
Meaning
attractive person as a 'morsel'
Collocations
tasty little morsel
|a cute little morsel
|a lovely morsel
|a juicy morsel
|a delightful morsel
Synonyms
hottie (A very informal, slang word for an attractive person; more common today but also objectifying.)
|
babe (Informal word for an attractive person, especially a woman; can sound dated or sexist in some contexts.)
Antonyms
turn-off (Something or someone that reduces attraction, the opposite of someone seen as desirable.)
Themes
relationships
|appearance
|emotions
Definition
An attractive person spoken about like a small, desirable thing; this use can sound old-fashioned or disrespectful.
An attractive person, especially a woman, described in a slightly humorous or objectifying way as a small, desirable thing.
Grammar
Dictionary form
morsel
IPA
GB/mˈɔɹsəl/
US/mˈɔɹsəl/
Syllables & stress
morsel (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (morsel)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: morsel
- Plural: morsels
Word family
Forms
morsels
noun
Expressions
a morsel of comfort
1/ə mˈɔɹsəl əv kˈʌmfɚt/
fixed phrase
a tiny bit of comfort
A very small amount of emotional comfort in a bad situation.
Examples
- His kind message was a morsel of comfort during a terrible week.
- The good news offered a morsel of comfort to the worried family.
- Even that small victory gave them a morsel of comfort.
a morsel of information
1/ə mˈɔɹsəl əv ˌɪnfɔɹmˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
a very small amount of information
A very small amount of information, often less than you want or need.
Examples
- The company has not released even a morsel of information about the new product.
- Journalists are waiting for any morsel of information they can get.
- She shared only a morsel of information about her private life.
a morsel of truth
1/ə mˈɔɹsəl əv tɹˈuθ/
fixed phrase
a tiny part of the truth
A very small part of something that is true, usually inside something that is mostly not true.
Examples
- There is a morsel of truth in what he says, but most of it is wrong.
- Her story may contain a morsel of truth, but it is heavily exaggerated.
- Rumors like this sometimes have a morsel of truth at the center.
every last morsel
1/ˈɛvɹi lˈæst mˈɔɹsəl/
fixed phrase
all of something, nothing left
All of something, with nothing left at all, often used for food.
Examples
- They were so hungry that they ate every last morsel.
- The dog licked the bowl clean and enjoyed every last morsel.
- The audience enjoyed every last morsel of the performance.
not a morsel
1/nˈɑt ə mˈɔɹsəl/
fixed phrase
no food, not even a bit
No food at all, not even a very small piece.
Examples
- He hadn’t eaten a morsel all day.
- There was not a morsel left after the party.
- The child refused to eat a single morsel of his dinner.