little man

American  

noun

(sometimes initial capital letters)

1. the common or ordinary person.

2. Informal. the small, ordinary investor, as opposed to big investment institutions.

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little man British  

noun

1. a man of no importance or significance

2. a tradesman or artisan operating on a small scale

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Etymology

Origin of little man

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

little man

It seems like the end for the miller’s daughter, until a strange little man appears and offers to help—naturally, for a price.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026

"I need to live in the moment while he's learning and is still progressing and he is a happy and healthy little man," Tammy said.

From BBC ● Jan. 28, 2026

To expend energy railing against this one petty, petty little man is to inveigh against the symptom, as opposed to the problem.

From Slate ● May 22, 2024

It was a red-eye, and when I landed there was a little man with a chauffeur hat and a long limousine with a phone in it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 25, 2024

But if I was surprised at the grand manner of this shabby little man, I was even more astonished when Father hired him on the spot.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom