| 单词 | little |
| 释义 | adjective | quantifier, pronoun | adverb littlelittle1 /ˈlɪt̮l/ ●●● S1 W1 adjective 1SIZE small in size: a little farm on the hill I always bring Maggie a little something (=a small present) when I come back from business trips.little tiny/tiny little a little tiny bug► see thesaurus at small12a little bit a)a small amount SYN a little: Just give me a little bit – I’m not that hungry.little of I’m going to give you a little bit of advice. b)to a small degree, or by a small amount SYN a little: Try a little bit harder.3TIME/DISTANCE [only before noun] short in time or distance: a little nap We walked a little way along this path. I waited a little while (=a short period of time) before I called back.4YOUNG little children are young: I loved playing with blocks when I was little.a little boy/girl (=a young boy or girl)somebody’s little boy/girl (=someone’s son or daughter who is still a child)somebody’s little brother/sister (=a younger brother or sister who is still a child)► see thesaurus at young15USED TO EMPHASIZE used between an adjective and the noun it describes to emphasize that you like or dislike something small or unimportant [only before noun]: a cute/pretty/nice little something a pretty little housea stupid/silly little something another of Todd’s stupid little jokes a poor little bird6UNIMPORTANT a)not important: There isn’t time to discuss every little detail. b)used humorously when you really think that something is important: There’s just that little matter of the $5,000 you owe me.7SLIGHT done in a way that is not very strong or noticeable SYN slight: a little laugh8quite the little something used to describe someone’s character or abilities in a way that does not show respect: She was quite the little rebel in those days.9a little bird told me spoken humorous used to say that someone who you are not going to name has told you something about another person: A little bird told me there’s a new man in your life.10the little woman old-fashioned informal an expression meaning someone’s wife, considered offensive by many people[Origin: Old English lytel] → see also little finger, little people, little toeWORD CHOICE: small, little• Small is generally used to describe the size of something: This jacket is too small for me. He packed his things into a small bag.• Little is also used to describe size, but it often shows how you feel about someone or something, for example whether you like it: We rented a cozy little cottage in the mountains.• You can say smaller or smallest, but “littler” and “littlest” are not often used: Her feet are smaller than mine. Don’t say Her feet are littler than mine.• You can use words such as “very” or “too” with small in front of a noun, but you cannot use them with little: a very small car Don’t say a very little car. adjective | quantifier, pronoun | adverb littlelittle2 ●●● S1 W1 quantifier, pronoun 1only a small amount or hardly any of something: We know little about his past.little of Little of the money is left.very/so/too little something Scott has very little time these days. The government does little to help single working mothers. Little or no attention is paid to the rights of victims. He knew little or nothing about fixing cars. I’ve spent my life doing as little as possible (=the smallest amount that I have to do). I’ve had precious little (=very little) help from my parents. You can buy an original painting for as little as $100. → see also least1, less12a little a small amount SYN a little bit: If you’d like more coffee, there’s a little left. I know only a little Korean.little of Spend a little of your time just relaxing. Would you like a little more cake? → see Word Choice at few3what little (also the little (that)) the small amount that there is, that is possible, etc.: I gave him what little money I had.4a little (something) goes a long way spoken used to say you do not need much of something: A little ketchup goes a long way. adjective | quantifier, pronoun | adverb littlelittle3 ●●● S2 W1 adverb 1a little to a small degree, or by a small amount SYN a little bit: She seems a little upset. You’ll feel better if you rest a little. Move the table a little closer to the wall.a little more/less/over/under Use a little more salt.2 (comparative less, superlative least) not much or only slightly: The town has changed little since I was a boy.little known/understood a little known part of the country There are little more than three minutes left in the game. His health has improved very little. I tried to disturb him as little as possible.3little did somebody know/think/realize used to mean that someone did not know, think, realize, etc. that something was true: Little did she know that her life was about to change.4little by little gradually: Little by little I became more fluent in German. → see also think little of somebody/something at think (15) |
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