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.

---

little man British  

noun

1. a man of no importance or significance

2. a tradesman or artisan operating on a small scale

---

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

He addresses his dead son, musing as to whether to plead guilty to the charges against him: “Hey, little man, can you hear me?” he intones.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2025

Every day there are legal battles that the little man or woman loses.

From BBC ● Dec. 28, 2024

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

Kantorek had been our schoolmaster, a stern little man in a grey tail-coat, with a face like a shrew mouse.

From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque