little people
Americanplural noun
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(in folklore) small, imaginary beings, as elves, fairies, or leprechauns.
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the common people, especially workers, small merchants, or the like, who lead conventional, presumably unremarkable lives.
plural noun
Etymology
Origin of little people
First recorded in 1720–30
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.
Godzilla, "all the little people below are scrambling as these giants hit each other," says Federman.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
However, Sian said she was surprised by how little people knew about stem cell donation.
From BBC • Jan. 26, 2026
One way to understand how little people thought of these teams’ chances before the start of the season is through their preseason odds.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 10, 2025
There’s very little people can do about the H5N1 circulating in wild birds.
From Salon • Feb. 12, 2025
“I asked the alethiometer,” she told him, “and it said we shouldn’t try and escape from the little people, because they were going to save our lives. So maybe we’re stuck with ’em.”
From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
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.
