little

¹lit·tle

adjective \ˈli-t^əl\

lit·tler \ˈli-t^əl-ər, ˈlit-lər\ or less \ˈles\ or less·er \ˈle-sər\ lit·tlest \ˈli-t^əl-əst, ˈlit-ləst\ or least \ˈlēst\

Definition of LITTLE

1

: not big: as

a : small in size or extent : tiny <has little feet>

b : young <was too little to remember>

c of a plant or animal : small in comparison with related forms —used in vernacular names

d : having few members or inhabitants <a little group> <little towns>

e : small in condition, distinction, or scope <big business trampling on the little fellow>

f : narrow, mean <the pettiness of little minds>

g : pleasingly small <a cute little thing>

h —used as an intensive <why, you little devil!>

2

: not much: as

a : existing only in a small amount or to a slight degree <has little money>

b : short in duration : brief

c : existing to an appreciable though not extensive degree or amount —used with a <had a little money in the bank>

3

: small in importance or interest : trivial

— lit·tle·ness \ˈli-t^əl-nəs\ noun

Examples of LITTLE

1. I have very little money, so I can't lend you any.
2. I have less money than I did before.
3. I got very little sleep last night.
4. There's little hope of a rescue now.
5. You have little choice but to pay attention.
6. The new version bears little resemblance to the original.
7. These programs have very little chance of succeeding.
8. These trinkets have little or no value.
9. We're having a little party this weekend.
10. a little group of people

Origin of LITTLE

Middle English littel, from Old English lȳtel; akin to Old High German luzzil little

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to LITTLE

Synonyms

short, low, low-lying, low-slung, sawed-off

Antonyms

altitudinous, high, lofty, tall, towering

Related Words

dwarf, dwarfish; compact, petite, slight; diminutive, half-pint, pint-size (or pint-sized), pocket, pocket-size (also pocket-sized), pygmy, small, smallish; bantam, bitty, dinky, mini, miniature, minimized, minute, puny, teeny, teeny-weeny, tiny, undersized (also undersize), wee; dumpy, flat, scrubby, squat, squatty, stubby, stumpy, stunted

Near Antonyms

elevated, lifted, raised, uplifted, upswept; high-rise, statuesque; gangling, gangly, lanky, rangy; big, bulky, hefty, hulking, large, largish, outsize (also outsized), oversize (or oversized), sizable (or sizeable), voluminous

See Synonym Discussion at small

Rhymes with LITTLE

brittle, kittle, skittle, spital, spittle, tittle, victual, whittle, wittol

²little

adverb

less \ˈles\ least \ˈlēst\

Definition of LITTLE

1

a : in only a small quantity or degree : slightly <facts that were little known at the time>

b : not at all <cared little for their neighbors>

2

: rarely, infrequently

Examples of LITTLE

1. She works very little and sleeps even less.
2. Please speak as little as possible.
3. We had little more than we needed.
4. His art is little known in this country.

First Known Use of LITTLE

before 12th century

Related to LITTLE

Synonyms

negligibly, nominally, slightly, a bit, a trifle

Antonyms

awful, awfully, beastly, considerably, deadly, especially, exceedingly (also exceeding), extensively, extra, extremely, far, frightfully, full, greatly, heavily, highly, jolly, mightily, mighty, mortally, most, much, particularly, rattling, real, right, significantly, so, something, substantially, super, terribly, too, very, whacking

Related Words

meagerly, scantily; barely, hardly, just, marginally, minimally, scarcely

Near Antonyms

completely, entirely, purely, thoroughly, totally, utterly; eminently, exceptionally; appreciably, discernibly, noticeably, palpably; abundantly, plentifully; generously, handsomely, liberally; astronomically, grandly, hugely, monstrously, monumentally

Rhymes with LITTLE

brittle, kittle, victual, whittle

³little

noun

Definition of LITTLE

1

: a small amount, quantity, or degree; also : practically nothing <little has changed>

2

a : a short time

b : a short distance

— a little

: somewhat, rather <found the play a little dull>

— in little

: on a small scale; especially : in miniature

Examples of LITTLE

1. <there's just a little of the pie left>

First Known Use of LITTLE

before 12th century

Related to LITTLE

Synonyms

ace, bit, crumb, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, hint, lick, particle, mite, nip, ounce, peanuts, ray, scintilla, scruple, shade, shadow, shred, skosh, smack, smell, smidgen (also smidgeon or smidgin or smidge), snap, soupçon, spark, spatter, speck, splash, spot, sprinkling, strain, streak, suspicion, tad, touch, trace

Related Words

hoot, iota, jot, minim, minimum, modicum, semblance, syllable, tittle, vestige, whit; atom, dot, fleck, flyspeck, grain, granule, molecule, morsel, mote, nubbin, patch, scrap; dash, drop, pinch; part, portion, section; bite, nibble, taste; handful, scattering, smatter, smattering; dose, shot; chip, flake, fragment, shard, shiver, sliver, smithereens, splinter; shred, tatter; clipping, paring, shaving

Near Antonyms

abundance, barrel, boatload, bucket, bundle, bushel, deal, fistful, gobs, heaps, lashings (also lashins) [chiefly British], loads, lot, mass, mess, mountain, much, oodles, passel, peck, pile, plenty, potful, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, scads, stack, wad, wealth; volume; bonanza, embarrassment, excess, overabundance, overage, overflow, overkill, overmuch, oversupply, superabundance, superfluity, surfeit, surplus; chunk, hunk, lump, slab

lit·tle

adjective \ˈlit-^əl\   (Medical Dictionary)

lit·tler \ˈlit-^əl-ər, ˈlit-lər\ or less \ˈles\ or les·ser \ˈles-ər\ lit·tlest \ˈlit-^əl-əst, ˈlit-ləst\ or least \ˈlēst\

Medical Definition of LITTLE

: not big: as a : small in size or extent <has little feet> b of a plant or animal : small in comparison with related forms—used in vernacular names