adjective,lit·tler or less or less·er,lit·tlest or least.
small in size; not big; not large; tiny: a little desk in the corner of the room.
short in duration; not extensive; short; brief: 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,less,least.
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.
seldom; rarely; infrequently: 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.
Idioms for little
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,
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.
Origin of little
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
SYNONYMS FOR little
1-4 tiny, teeny, wee.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR little ON THESAURUS.COM
synonym study for little
1-4. 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.
OTHER WORDS FROM little
lit·tlish[lit-l-ish, lit-lish], /ˈlɪt l ɪʃ, ˈlɪt lɪʃ/, adjectivelit·tle·ness,noun
Words nearby little
litterbag, litterbug, litter lout, littermate, littery, little, Little Alföld, Little Alliance, Little America, little auk, Little Bear
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I was a little mystified at how benignly he responded to my questions about his business activities.
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To be sure, there were some ashes and a little dirt in the soup, but that was not regarded as important.
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Asitunan lag diyútay ug mahuswà ang kútiks, Just apply a little acetone on it, and the nail polish will come off.
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Little David Copperfield is a jewel of a boy with a turn for books.
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And this is a little thing for Miss Lennox, Kate; you will give her it with my compliments.
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British Dictionary definitions for little
little
/ (ˈlɪtəl) /
determiner
(often preceded by a)
a small quantity, extent, or duration ofthe little hope there is left; very little milk
(as pronoun)save a little for me
not muchlittle damage was done
make little of See make of (def. 3)
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
younga little boy; our little ones
endearingly familiar; dearmy husband's little ways
contemptible, mean, or disagreeableyour filthy little mind
(of a region or district) resembling another country or town in miniaturelittle Venice
little gamea person's secret intention or businessso that's his little game!
no littleconsiderable
adverb
(usually preceded by a)in a small amount; to a small extent or degree; not a lotto laugh a little
(used preceding a verb)not at all, or hardlyhe little realized his fate
not much or oftenwe go there very little now
little by littleby small degrees
See also less, lesser, least, littler, littlest
Word Origin for little
Old English lӯtel; related to lӯr few, Old High German luzzil