little

American  

[lit-l] / ˈlɪt l /

adjective

littler, less, lesser, littlest, least

1. small in size; not big; not large; tiny.

   a little desk in the corner of the room.

   Synonyms:

   wee, teeny, tiny

2. short in duration; not extensive; short; brief.

   a little while.

   Synonyms:

   wee, teeny, tiny

3. small in number.

   a little group of scientists.

   Synonyms:

   wee, teeny, tiny

4. small in amount or degree; not much.

   little hope.

   Synonyms:

   wee, teeny, tiny

5. of a certain amount; appreciable (usually preceded bya ).

   We're having a little difficulty.

6. being such on a small scale.

   little farmers.

7. younger or youngest.

   He's my little brother.

8. not strong, forceful, or loud; weak.

   a little voice.

9. small in consideration, importance, position, affluence, etc..

   little discomforts;

   tax reductions to help the little fellow.

10. mean, narrow, or illiberal.

    a little mind.

11. endearingly small or considered as such.

    Bless your little heart!

12. amusingly small or so considered.

    a funny little way of laughing.

13. contemptibly small, petty, mean, etc., or so considered.

    filthy little political tricks.

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adverb

less, least

1. not at all (used before a verb).

   He little knows what awaits him.

2. in only a small amount or degree; not much; slightly.

   a little-known work of art;

   little better than a previous effort.

3. seldom; rarely; infrequently.

   We see each other very little.

noun

1. 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.

2. a short distance.

   It's down the road a little.

3. a short time.

   Stay here for a little.

idioms

1. think little of, to treat casually; regard as trivial.

   They think little of driving 50 miles to see a movie.

2. little by little, by small degrees; gradually.

   The water level rose little by little.

3. make little of,

   1. to belittle.

      to make little of one's troubles.

   2. to understand or interpret only slightly.

      Scholars made little of the newly discovered text.

4. in little, on a small scale; in miniature.

   a replica in little of Independence Hall.

5. not a little, to a great extent; very much; considerably.

   It tired me not a little to stand for three hours.

little British  

/ ˈlɪtəl /

determiner

1. (often preceded by a)

   1. a small quantity, extent, or duration of

      the little hope there is left

      very little milk

   2. ( as pronoun )

      save a little for me

2. not much

   little damage was done

3. See make of

4. 1. very

   2. a lot

5. a considerable amount

6. to have a low opinion of

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adjective

1. of small or less than average size

2. young

   a little boy

   our little ones

3. endearingly familiar; dear

   my husband's little ways

4. contemptible, mean, or disagreeable

   your filthy little mind

5. (of a region or district) resembling another country or town in miniature

   little Venice

6. a person's secret intention or business

   so that's his little game!

7. considerable

adverb

1. (usually preceded by a) in a small amount; to a small extent or degree; not a lot

   to laugh a little

2. (used preceding a verb) not at all, or hardly

   he little realized his fate

3. not much or often

   we go there very little now

4. by small degrees

little More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing little

• 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

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Usage

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.

Related Words

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 Word Forms

• littleness noun
• littlish adjective

Etymology

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

Explanation

Anything small, brief, young, or unimportant can be described as little. If you live in a little cottage, it means your house is very small, and quite possibly adorable. The word little describes something tiny and sweet, like a little kitten or a little doll house rocking chair. Little can also mean some, but not much, like when you only want a little soup — not a big bowl, or when you put little effort into your appearance when you are doing yard work. The expression little by little means very slowly, or by tiny increments, like learning a new language little by little.

Example Sentences

However, on this evidence, there is little to suggest Newcastle are about to finally go on a run and qualify for Europe.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

And the blockade of the strait through which a fifth of the world's oil moves would do little to ease global economic jitters.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

The miners spend a fortune on equipment, causing stocks to collapse since the mine makes very little profit early on.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

“Network Operations” is a little slice of the arty anarchy that defined Coachella’s early, pre-influencer era.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

I told him that when I was little, my favorite thing to draw was my family but I’d often forget to draw their arms.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Related Words

• insufficient
• limited
• meager
• scant
• slight