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little
[ lit-l ]
adjective
- small in size; not big; not large; tiny:
a little desk in the corner of the room.
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
- 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.
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.
little
/ ˈlɪtəl /
determiner
- often preceded by a
- a small quantity, extent, or duration of
very little milk
the little hope there is left
- ( as pronoun )
save a little for me
- not much
little damage was done
- make little ofSee make of
- not a little
- very
- a lot
- quite a littlea considerable amount
- think little ofto have a low opinion of
adjective
- of small or less than average size
- young
our little ones
a little boy
- endearingly familiar; dear
my husband's little ways
- contemptible, mean, or disagreeable
your filthy little mind
- (of a region or district) resembling another country or town in miniature
little Venice
- little gamea person's secret intention or business
so that's his little game!
- no littleconsiderable
adverb
- usually preceded by a in a small amount; to a small extent or degree; not a lot
to laugh a little
- used preceding a verb not at all, or hardly
he little realized his fate
- not much or often
we go there very little now
- little by littleby small degrees
Other Words From
- lit·tlish [lit, -l-ish, lit, -lish], adjective
- little·ness noun
Word History and Origins
Origin of little1
Word History and Origins
Origin of little1
Idioms and Phrases
- 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.
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
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
“But we also recognise that if clients are a little uncomfortable, we need to give them options.”
While Jawlani's move was partly an attempt to maintain local support and avoid alienating Syrians and rebel factions, the al-Qaeda affiliation ultimately did little to benefit this effort.
Armed men were firing into the air in a constant cacophony of celebration - we saw one little boy who had been injured carried away.
It's hard to believe how little was known then about exactly how many there were, where they were located, who owned the land and what condition they were in.
“The show explains a little bit about how that stage person came to be,” she says.
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Related Words
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.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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