a little
Idioms-
A small amount, as in Will you have some more meat? Yes, just a little . [Early 1400s]
-
Somewhat or rather, slightly, as in I am a little annoyed with Harry . [Late 1300s] For a synonym, see a bit .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
We’ll know in a little more than four weeks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
“Are we paying a little more in interest?”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
"When I detected a little lump on my testicle... I was just ignorant of my own health - I just thought I'll get on with it," he said.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
Another was more prescriptive: “Take pictures of your food. Spend a little time and effort to make your own flyer.”
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
Her voice was a little deep, but no one paid much attention to that.
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
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.
