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

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

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

During World War II there appeared a cartoon, I believe in The New Yorker: A mousy, James Thurber-esque little man is in front of a newsstand.

From Salon • Feb. 19, 2024

“That’s what my mama used to say. She’d wake me up in the morning, give me a little kiss and a hug, and she’d say, ‘My sweet Alec.You are one strange little man.’

From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner