a little
Idioms-
A small amount, as in Will you have some more meat? Yes, just a little . [Early 1400s]
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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.
I think we would all benefit from a little more dirt and grit in our lives.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026
Speaking of the honour, she added she was "a little bit overwhelmed at the moment".
From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026
I’ll just clean them up a little bit.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026
"We find that to some extent, Alzheimer's disease is a little like cancer -- driven by the same mutations that drive blood cancers like lymphoma and leukemia," said Walsh.
From Science Daily • Jun. 12, 2026
“I’m gonna need you to have a little more shame,” Arlo says when he enters the kitchen and sees me.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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.
