little

[ lit-l ]

/ ˈlɪt l /

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See synonyms for: little / least / lesser / less on Thesaurus.com

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR little

1-4 tiny, teeny, wee.

See synonyms for little on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about little

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,

to 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

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

synonym study for little

1-4. 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.

OTHER WORDS FROM little

lit·tlish

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

Words nearby little

litterbag, litterbug, litter lout, littermate, littery, little, Little Alföld, Little Alliance, Little America, little auk, Little Bear

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT LITTLE

What is a basic definition of little?

Little describes something that is small in size. Little also describes a short time. And little can refer to a small amount of something. Little has many other senses as an adjective, adverb, and noun.

If something is little, it is tiny or physically small. Little is the opposite of words like big, huge, and gigantic. The noun form of this sense is littleness.

Real-life examples: Newborn babies are little. A single grain of sand is little. A dime is a little coin compared to quarters and nickels.

Used in a sentence: I found a little piece of paper tucked inside the small book.

Little also describes a short amount of time. This sense is commonly used as “a little while” or “a little bit.” This sense is a synonym of words like brief or short.

Real-life examples: A five-minute rest is a little break. You might go away for a weekend and call it a little vacation. You might stay at a friend’s house for a little while before saying goodbye. And 367 days is a little over a year.

Used in a sentence: We stopped at the gas station for a little bit to fill up the car before continuing our trip.

Little can also describe a small amount of something.

Real-life examples: A chef might add a little salt to a recipe. There might be a little rain on a cloudy day. A new chess player usually has little chance of beating a professional.

Used in a sentence: She added to the romantic atmosphere by playing a little music.

Little is also used in this sense as a noun.

Used in a sentence: If you are looking for paint, there is a little in the supply closet.

Where does little come from?

The first records of little come from before the 900s. It ultimately comes from the Old English lȳtel, a diminutive of the word lȳt, meaning “few” or “small.” Lȳtel is related to the Dutch luttel and the Old Norse lītill.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to little?

littlish (adjective)
littleness (noun)
little finger
little by little
little people
little frog in a big pond

What are some synonyms for little?

What are some words that often get used in discussing little?

How is little used in real life?

Little is a very common word often used to mean something is small, short, or of a low quantity.

My cat Finkle is 17 now and in pretty bad shape. So sad to see him like this, we saved him when he was just a little kitten

— Samuel (@sam_dhand) November 24, 2020

I lost focus for a little while but I’m back on my grind.

— DJ Kam Bennett (@KameronBennett) November 21, 2020

Trying to find ways to employ people so that they can at least earn a little money. Having my windows cleaned on the outside today. #lockdown

— Marina Sirtis (@Marina_Sirtis) April 21, 2020

Try using little!

Is little used correctly in the following sentence?

The fence stops big animals, but little animals can still squeeze through the small gaps.

How to use little in a sentence

Mounting a winch can take a little time, and you’ll usually need a bracket specific to your ATV, but it’s not all that difficult.
Six ways to make your ATV even more rugged|By Tyler Freel/Outdoor Life|September 17, 2020|Popular-Science
We have very little problem in this country at this moment — five.
Timeline: The 124 times Trump has downplayed the coronavirus threat|Aaron Blake, JM Rieger|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
A little more than a month ago, the Big Ten became the first major conference to postpone the season.
Trump contradicts CDC director on vaccine; Biden says Americans shouldn’t trust Trump|Colby Itkowitz, Felicia Sonmez, John Wagner|September 16, 2020|Washington Post
Later, a researcher from Yale and Pew Research Center conducted separate tests that also found little to no evidence in support of the claim.
If voters are wary of stating support for Trump in polls, why does he outperform GOP Senate candidates?|Philip Bump|September 16, 2020|Washington Post

Separately, the CEO of TripAction says business travel has picked up a little recently, but is still down about 80% since February—compared to the 90% drop in March.
How businesses are preparing for the U.S. election outcome|Alan Murray|September 16, 2020|Fortune
But Babylon asks us to do a little more: It wants us to empathize.
'Babylon' Review: The Dumb Lives of Trigger-Happy Cops|Melissa Leon|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Everybody is trapped in an elevator together and tempers run a little hot.
‘Archer’ Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS|Marlow Stern|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
How about baby drama with little Abijean and the Wee Baby Seamus?
‘Archer’ Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS|Marlow Stern|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I was a little mystified at how benignly he responded to my questions about his business activities.
I Tried to Warn You About Sleazy Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2003|Vicky Ward|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Scalise spoke briefly, adding little of substance, saying that the people back home know him best.
The Price of Steve Scalise’s Silence|Jason Berry|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It is most peculiar, and when he plays that way, the most bewitching little expression comes over his face.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
In less than ten minutes, the bivouac was broken up, and our little army on the march.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
A little boy of four was moved to passionate grief at the sight of a dead dog taken from a pond.
Children's Ways|James Sully
Squinty could look out, but the slats were as close together as those in a chicken coop, and the little pig could not get out.
Squinty the Comical Pig|Richard Barnum
We should have to admit that the new law does little or nothing to relieve such a situation.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips

British Dictionary definitions for little

little

/ (ˈlɪtəl) /

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with little

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

little

OTHER WORDS FOR little

Idioms about little

Origin of little

synonym study for little

OTHER WORDS FROM little

Words nearby little

MORE ABOUT LITTLE

What is a basic definition of little?

Where does little come from?

Did you know ... ?

How is little used in real life?

Try using little!

Words related to little

How to use little in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for little

Word Origin for little

Other Idioms and Phrases with little