little people

American  

[lit-l pee-puhl] / ˈlɪt l ˌpi pəl /

plural noun

1. (in folklore) small, imaginary beings, as elves, fairies, or leprechauns.

2. the common people, especially workers, small merchants, or the like, who lead conventional, presumably unremarkable lives.

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little people British  

plural noun

1. folklore small supernatural beings, such as elves, pixies, or leprechauns

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Etymology

Origin of little people

First recorded in 1720–30

Example Sentences

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

Lyonne isn’t riding a “new wave,” she’s surfing a tsunami, and she’s too high up to notice all of the little people whose careers are in jeopardy for the sake of cheaper, less artful filmmaking.

From Salon • Jun. 29, 2025

"I have the problem that it’s not Putin that persecuted me but those little people I lived in the same city with," she says.

From BBC • Oct. 6, 2024

Most notably, the bandits, who were played by little people in the movie, led by the great David Rappaport and including Kenny Baker, the man inside R2-D2, are full-sized actors here.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 24, 2024

And the world being after all full of strange creatures beyond count, these little people seemed of very little importance.

From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien