little

[ lit-l ]

adjective

, lit·tler or less or less·er, lit·tlest or least.

1. small in size; not big; not large; tiny:

   a little desk in the corner of the room.

   Synonyms: wee, teeny, tiny

2. short in duration; not extensive; short; brief:

   a little while.

   Synonyms: wee, teeny, tiny

3. small in number:

   a little group of scientists.

   Synonyms: wee, teeny, tiny

4. small in amount or degree; not much:

   little hope.

   Synonyms: wee, teeny, tiny

5. of a certain amount; appreciable (usually preceded by a ):

   We're having a little difficulty.

6. being such on a small scale:

   little farmers.

7. younger or youngest:

   He's my little brother.

8. not strong, forceful, or loud; weak:

   a little voice.

9. small in consideration, importance, position, affluence, etc.:

   little discomforts;

   tax reductions to help the little fellow.

10. mean, narrow, or illiberal:

    a little mind.

11. endearingly small or considered as such:

    Bless your little heart!

12. amusingly small or so considered:

    a funny little way of laughing.

13. contemptibly small, petty, mean, etc., or so considered:

    filthy little political tricks.

adverb

, less, least.

1. not at all (used before a verb):

   He little knows what awaits him.

2. in only a small amount or degree; not much; slightly:

   a little-known work of art;

   little better than a previous effort.

3. seldom; rarely; infrequently:

   We see each other very little.

noun

1. 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.

2. a short distance:

   It's down the road a little.

3. a short time:

   Stay here for a little.

little

/ ˈlɪtəl /

determiner

1. often preceded by a
   1. a small quantity, extent, or duration of

      very little milk

      the little hope there is left

   2. ( as pronoun )

      save a little for me

2. not much

   little damage was done

3. make little of
   See make of
4. not a little
   1. very
   2. a lot
5. quite a little
   a considerable amount
6. think little of
   to have a low opinion of

adjective

1. of small or less than average size
2. young

   our little ones

   a little boy

3. endearingly familiar; dear

   my husband's little ways

4. contemptible, mean, or disagreeable

   your filthy little mind

5. (of a region or district) resembling another country or town in miniature

   little Venice

6. little game
   a person's secret intention or business

   so that's his little game!

7. no little
   considerable

adverb

1. usually preceded by a in a small amount; to a small extent or degree; not a lot

   to laugh a little

2. used preceding a verb not at all, or hardly

   he little realized his fate

3. not much or often

   we go there very little now

4. little by little
   by small degrees

Other Words From

• lit·tlish [lit, -l-ish, lit, -lish], adjective
• little·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of little¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English lȳtel ( lȳt “few, small” + -el diminutive suffix), cognate with Dutch luttel, Old High German luzzil, Old Norse lītill

Word History and Origins

Origin of little¹

Old English lӯtel; related to lӯr few, Old High German luzzil

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. in little, on a small scale; in miniature:

   a replica in little of Independence Hall.

2. little by little, by small degrees; gradually:

   The water level rose little by little.

3. make little of,
   1. to belittle:

      to make little of one's troubles.

   2. to understand or interpret only slightly:

      Scholars made little of the newly discovered text.

4. not a little, to a great extent; very much; considerably:

   It tired me not a little to stand for three hours.

5. 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

Little, diminutive, minute, small refer to that which is not large or significant. Little (the opposite of big ) is very general, covering size, extent, number, quantity, amount, duration, or degree: a little boy; a little time. Small (the opposite of large and of great ) can many times be used interchangeably with little, but is especially applied to what is limited or below the average in size: small oranges. Diminutive denotes (usually physical) size that is much less than the average or ordinary; it may suggest delicacy: the baby's diminutive fingers; diminutive in size but autocratic in manner. Minute suggests that which is so tiny it is difficult to discern, or that which implies attentiveness to the smallest details: a minute quantity; a minute exam.

Example Sentences

The score subtly shifts from zydeco to rara — the tones transitioning from that of a backwoods party to a street parade — before leading to an Afro-Cuban finale that builds to the sing-along “Dig a Little Deeper.”

From Los Angeles Times

“It’s the type of thing where there’s a lot of power to pull up information about what people are doing, where they’re going, who they’re interacting with, and very little to stop how the government uses that,” Laperruque said.

From Los Angeles Times

He also echoed critics in Mexico who have assailed Sheinbaum for failing to earmark more funds to professionalize Mexico’s criminal justice system — especially the police, who make so little money that officers often wind up on gang payrolls.

From Los Angeles Times

She shared, "I'd know he'd be very angry. I saw him throw so many scripts across the room. Frustration, anger and lost a little bit on where his career was going. Because those were not the roles he wanted."

From Salon

First, he has little apparent legal ability.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• insufficient
• limited
• meager
• scant
• slight