DictionaryAI

little

LIT-l/ˈlɪ.tl̩/

Adjectiveless, lesser, littler, least, littlest

Adverbless, lesser, least

Noun plurallittles (some meanings)

18 meanings of little

Practice

  1. 1
    small in sizeadjective
    Small in size, number, or scale; not big or large.

    The museum sits on a little island just off the coast.

    A little bird landed on the windowsill and pecked at the crumbs.

    UsageMostly before a noun: a little house. After a verb, small is more usual: the house is small.

    Similarsmall, tiny

    Oppositebig, large, huge

  2. 2
    not muchdeterminer
    Only a small amount of something; not much.

    The committee showed little interest in the new proposal.

    There was little rain that summer, and the crops suffered.

    UsageLittle (not much) sounds negative; a little (some) sounds positive: little hope, a little hope. With plurals, use few.

    Oppositemuch

  3. 3
    adverb
    Not much; to a small degree or extent.

    The town has changed little since the 1950s.

    The medicine helped little, and the fever returned by morning.

    UsageLittle means hardly, a little means somewhat: it changed little, it changed a little. Common in very little and little-known.

    Similarslightly, barely, hardly, scarcely

    Oppositemuch, greatly, considerably

  4. 4
    adjective
    Young, or younger than another person, especially a brother, sister, or other relative.

    She has been afraid of thunder since she was little.

    The little ones napped upstairs while the adults talked in the kitchen.

    UsageCommon in when I was little and the little ones.

    Similaryoung, small, younger

    Oppositebig, older, grown

    Note

    Here the word measures years rather than inches, so a child can be the biggest little boy anyone has seen without contradiction. Keep it apart from the plain "small" meaning: size and age share the word but not the sense.

  5. 5
    adjective
    Placed before a noun, often alongside another adjective, to convey warmth, fondness, or sympathy instead of saying anything about size.

    "You poor little thing, what a long day you've had," she told her exhausted husband.

    We found the poor little thing shivering under the porch after the storm, too scared to come out.

    UsageOften after another adjective: poor little thing, lovely little place. Set pairs like little old lady put it first.

    Note

    Here little has stopped measuring and started feeling, which is why a two-acre garden can still be someone's beloved little garden. The same word can turn condescending, as in the belittling use; tone decides which.

  6. 6
    not muchpronoun
    Only a small quantity or degree of something.

    Little is known about the painter's early years.

    Much was promised during the campaign, but little was delivered.

    UsageTakes a singular verb: little is known, little has changed.

    Oppositemuch

  7. 7
    noununcountable
    A small amount or quantity of something.

    She added a little of the sauce and tasted the soup again.

    The little they had saved went toward the roof repairs.

    UsageMostly with a or the: a little of the sauce, the little they had saved.

    Similarbit, touch, dash, drop, smidgen

    Note

    A plural survives in the proverb many littles make a mickle, where small amounts add up to a large one.

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

    • The proverb uses the plural 'littles' and means that small amounts accumulate into a large amount. gutenberg.org
  8. 8
    adjective
    Insignificant or trivial; of minor importance.

    He apologized for the little misunderstanding at the meeting.

    It was just a little mistake, nothing that would affect the final results.

    UsageCommon in every little thing, little things, and a little mistake.

    Similarminor, trivial, slight, small, insignificant

    Oppositemajor, serious, significant, important

    Note

    Here the smallness is one of consequence, not of size, and it settles easily into frames like of little importance. Tennyson's In Memoriam (1850) shows how far the comparison stretches. Urania tells the poet 'thou pratest here where thou art least', meaning lowest in standing, not smallest in body.

    Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 4 facts

    • Alfred Tennyson wrote In Memoriam. en.wikisource.org
    • In Memoriam was first published in 1850, as dated on its first-edition title page. en.wikisource.org
    • Urania addresses the poet with the quoted words. uwyo.edu
    • 'Least' concerns the poet's standing or ability in religious matters rather than bodily size, as the surrounding lines indicate. uwyo.edu
  9. 9
    briefadjective
    Lasting only a short time; brief.

    After a little pause, she continued her speech.

    After the long drive, we stopped at a diner and rested for a little while before pushing on to the coast.

    UsageMostly in a little while, a little bit and a little pause.

    Similarbrief, short, quick

    Oppositelong, lengthy, prolonged

  10. 10
    insultingadjectivederogatory
    Used to belittle a person, expressing contempt or dismissal.

    He dismissed the reporter as a little hack chasing easy headlines.

    I refuse to be lectured by some little functionary from head office.

    Similarpetty, two-bit, measly, insignificant

    Note

    An insult aimed at standing rather than stature, it denies someone importance and adds contempt to a noun: you little shit, that little clerk. Because it is contemptuous, keep it to quoted speech or deliberate rudeness. In neutral description, drop the adjective and replace any insulting noun.

    Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

    • 'Shit' used of a person is already an insult; 'little' adds contempt. en.wiktionary.org
    • Removing 'little' does not remove contempt already expressed by an insulting noun such as 'shit'. en.wiktionary.org

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of little apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

From Middle English litel, from Old English lyttel, going back to Proto-Germanic *lūtilaz and Proto-West Germanic *lūtil ("tending to stoop, little"), and ultimately Proto-Indo-European *lewd- ("to bend, crouch, duck"); it is equivalent to lout + -le. It has cognates such as Dutch luttel and Low German lütt, and is related to Old English lūtan ("to bow, bend low").

Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 6 facts