lesser

[les-er]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR lesser ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, a compar. of little with least as superl.

smaller, as in size or importance; inferior: a lesser evil.

adverb, a compar. of little with least as superl.

less.

Origin of lesser

First recorded in 1175–1225, lesser is from the Middle English word lasser, lesser. See less, -er⁴

Can be confusedlesser lessor

little

[lit-l]

adjective, lit·tler or less or less·er, lit·tlest or least.

small in size; not big; not large; tiny: a little desk in the corner of the room.

short in duration; not extensive; short; brief: a little while.

small in number: a little group of scientists.

small in amount or degree; not much: little hope.

of a certain amount; appreciable (usually preceded by a): We're having a little difficulty.

being such on a small scale: little farmers.

younger or youngest: He's my little brother.

not strong, forceful, or loud; weak: a little voice.

small in consideration, importance, position, affluence, etc.: little discomforts; tax reductions to help the little fellow.

mean, narrow, or illiberal: a little mind.

endearingly small or considered as such: Bless your little heart!

amusingly small or so considered: a funny little way of laughing.

contemptibly small, petty, mean, etc., or so considered: filthy little political tricks.

adverb, less, least.

not at all (used before a verb): He little knows what awaits him.

in only a small amount or degree; not much; slightly: a little-known work of art; little better than a previous effort.

seldom; rarely; infrequently: We see each other very little.

noun

a small amount, quantity, or degree: They did little to make him comfortable. If you want some ice cream, there's a little in the refrigerator.

a short distance: It's down the road a little.

a short time: Stay here for a little.

Idioms

in little, on a small scale; in miniature: a replica in little of Independence Hall.

little by little, by small degrees; gradually: The water level rose little by little.

make little of,

belittle: to make little of one's troubles.
to understand or interpret only slightly: Scholars made little of the newly discovered text.

not a little, to a great extent; very much; considerably: It tired me not a little to stand for three hours.

think little of, to treat casually; regard as trivial: They think little of driving 50 miles to see a movie.

Origin of little

before 900; Middle English, Old English lȳtel (lȳt few, small + -el diminutive suffix), cognate with Dutch luttel, Old High German luzzil, Old Norse lītill

Related formslit·tlish

[lit-l-ish, lit-lish] /ˈlɪt l ɪʃ, ˈlɪt lɪʃ/, adjectivelit·tle·ness, noun

Synonyms for little

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR little ON THESAURUS.COM

1–4. tiny, teeny, wee. Little, diminutive, minute, small refer to that which is not large or significant. Little (the opposite of big ) is very general, covering size, extent, number, quantity, amount, duration, or degree: a little boy; a little time. Small (the opposite of large and of great ) can many times be used interchangeably with little, but is especially applied to what is limited or below the average in size: small oranges. Diminutive denotes (usually physical) size that is much less than the average or ordinary; it may suggest delicacy: the baby's diminutive fingers; diminutive in size but autocratic in manner. Minute suggests that which is so tiny it is difficult to discern, or that which implies attentiveness to the smallest details: a minute quantity; a minute exam.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for lesser

minor, insignificant, bottom, bush, bush-league, dinky, low, lower, nether, small, small-time, subjacent, subordinate, minor-league, undersized

Examples from the Web for lesser

Contemporary Examples of lesser

The other songs go in to lesser percentages of “me” as you move along.
Belle & Sebastian Aren’t So Shy Anymore
James Joiner
January 7, 2015
An ace comedic turn that, in lesser hands, would come off as one-note.
Oscars 2015: The Daily Beast’s Picks, From Scarlett Johansson to ‘Boyhood’
Marlow Stern
January 6, 2015
Why is the killing of a million a lesser crime than the killing of an individual?
The Man Who Invented the Word ‘Genocide’
Nina Strochlic
November 19, 2014
The three parades since 9/11 have all been for lesser heroes.
It’s Time for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans to Get a Parade of Their Own
Michael Daly
November 11, 2014
Coltrane, a man of almost unbelievable gentleness made human to us lesser mortals by his very occasional rages.
The Stacks: John Coltrane’s Mighty Musical Quest
Nat Hentoff
October 18, 2014

Historical Examples of lesser

They affected that they never habitually thought of lesser concerns.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
All lesser forms of lying are forbidden along with the greater.
An Explanation of Luther's Small Catechism
Joseph Stump
Too much knowledge is even as great a danger as a lesser amount sometimes.
Thoroughbreds
W. A. Fraser
The man of purpose says no to all lesser calls, all minor opportunities.
The Call of the Twentieth Century
David Starr Jordan
I recall but indifferently the lesser topics of conversation.
In the Valley
Harold Frederic

British Dictionary definitions for lesser

lesser

adjective

not as great in quantity, size, or worth

little

determiner

(often preceded by a)

a small quantity, extent, or duration ofthe little hope there is left; very little milk
(as pronoun)save a little for me

not muchlittle damage was done

make little of See make of (def. 3)

not a little

very
a lot

quite a little a considerable amount

think little of to have a low opinion of

adjective

of small or less than average size

younga little boy; our little ones

endearingly familiar; dearmy husband's little ways

contemptible, mean, or disagreeableyour filthy little mind

(of a region or district) resembling another country or town in miniaturelittle Venice

little game a person's secret intention or businessso that's his little game!

no little considerable

adverb

(usually preceded by a) in a small amount; to a small extent or degree; not a lotto laugh a little

(used preceding a verb) not at all, or hardlyhe little realized his fate

not much or oftenwe go there very little now

little by little by small degrees

See also less, lesser, least, littler, littlest

Word Origin for little

Old English lӯtel; related to lӯr few, Old High German luzzil

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for lesser

adj.

early 13c., a double comparative, from less + -er (2). Johnson calls it "a barbarous corruption of less, formed by the vulgar from the habit of terminating comparatives in -er." As an adverb from 1590s; now generally poetic or obsolete except in expression lesser-known (1813).

little

adj.

Old English lytel "not large, not much; short in distance or time; unimportant," also used in late Old English as a noun, "small piece; a short time," from West Germanic *lutilla- (cf. Old Saxon luttil, Dutch luttel, Old High German luzzil, German lützel, Gothic leitils "little"), perhaps originally a diminutive of the root of Old English lyt "little, few," from PIE *leud- "small." "Often synonymous with small, but capable of emotional implications which small is not" [OED].

Phrase the little woman "wife" attested from 1795. Little people "the faeries" is from 1726; as "children," it is attested from 1752; as "ordinary people" (opposed to the great), it is attested from 1827. Little Neck clams (1884) are so called for Little Neck, Long Island, a "neck" of land on the island's North Shore. Little by little is from late 15c. (litylle be litille). Little green men "space aliens" is from 1950. Little black dress is from 1939.

At the beginning of summer, smart women who stay in town like to wear sheer "little black dresses." Because most "little black dresses" look alike, retailers struggle each year to find something which will make them seem new. ["Life," June 13, 1939]

Little Orphan Annie originally was (as Little Orphant Annie) the character in James Whitcomb Riley's 1885 poem, originally titled "Elf Child." The U.S. newspaper comic strip created by Harold Gray (1894-1968) debuted in 1924 in the New York "Daily News."

LITTLE Orphant Annie's come to our house to stay,
An' wash the cups an' saucers up, an' brush the crumbs away,
An' shoo the chickens off the porch, an' dust the hearth, an' sweep,
An' make the fire, an' bake the bread, an' earn her board-an'-keep;
An' all us other childern, when the supper-things is done,
We set around the kitchen fire an' has the mostest fun
A-list'nin' to the witch-tales 'at Annie tells about,
An' the Gobble-uns 'at gits you
Ef you
Don't
Watch
Out!

[Riley, "Elf Child"]

little

OE lytlian, from root of little (adj.).

Idioms and Phrases with lesser

little

In addition to the idioms beginning with little

little bird told one, a
little by little
little frog in a big pond
little knowledge is a dangerous thing, a
little pitchers have big ears

also see:

a little
every little bit helps
in one's own (little) world
make little of
precious few (little)
think little of
to little purpose
too little, too late