a little
Idioms-
A small amount, as in Will you have some more meat? Yes, just a little . [Early 1400s]
-
Somewhat or rather, slightly, as in I am a little annoyed with Harry . [Late 1300s] For a synonym, see a bit .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Everything was there, but a little bit contained, a little bit restrained," he said.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
"Sometimes I'll put my decks on my living room table and just do a little set for my friends."
From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026
“People are taking a little longer to make the decision, and when they make the decision, they’re saying ‘Do I really have to do this?’”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
We’ve had an unusually warm start to the year in Southern California, which typically signals that we’ll be roasting at Coachella, but things have thankfully cooled off a little.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
She slapped the wooden picnic table again, a little impatiently, so I took my tray on over.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
