little

1 of 4

adjective

lit·​tle ˈli-tᵊl How to pronounce little (audio)
littler ˈli-tᵊl-ər How to pronounce little (audio)
ˈlit-lər
or less ˈles How to pronounce little (audio) or lesser ˈle-sər How to pronounce little (audio) ; littlest ˈli-tᵊl-əst How to pronounce little (audio)
ˈlit-ləst
or least ˈlēst How to pronounce little (audio)
1
: not big: such 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: such as
a
: existing only in a small amount or to a slight degree
has little money
b
: short in duration : brief
There is little time left.
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
a few little problems to be dealt with
littleness noun

little

2 of 4

adverb

less ˈles How to pronounce little (audio) ; least ˈlēst How to pronounce little (audio)
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

little

3 of 4

pronoun

: not much : almost nothing
Little has changed.
There was little to spare.
They ate little that morning.
The child recalled/understood little of what happened.
There is little we can do to help.
His argument did little to change their minds.
They told us precious little about the situation.

little

4 of 4

noun

plural littles
1
: a small amount or quantity
She felt better after she'd eaten a little.
There's still some money left, but only a very little.
They didn't understand much but they did understand a little.
They understood more than a little [=much] of what was going on.
The family worked hard to earn what little they could.
With quality perfumes a little goes a long way.Gerry Cupido
2
: a short time or distance
We sat and rested for a little.
It's on the right, just a little past the school.
3
: a young child : little one
How you introduce your littles to the trail helps determine what they think of hiking as they grow.Backpacker
… Beyoncé and JAY-Z don't post many photos of their littlest littles.Azure Hall
As a mom determined to nurse each of her littles, I've tucked myself away in airplane bathrooms dozens of times to pump ounces of milk.Kourtney Gibson

see also a little

Phrases
in little
: on a small scale
especially : in miniature
Choose the Right Synonym for little

small, little, diminutive, minute, tiny, miniature mean noticeably below average in size.

small and little are often interchangeable, but small applies more to relative size determined by capacity, value, number.

a relatively small backyard

little is more absolute in implication often carrying the idea of petiteness, pettiness, insignificance, or immaturity.

your pathetic little smile

diminutive implies abnormal smallness.

diminutive bonsai plants

minute implies extreme smallness.

a minute amount of caffeine in the soda

tiny is an informal equivalent to minute.

tiny cracks formed in the painting

miniature applies to an exactly proportioned reproduction on a very small scale.

a dollhouse with miniature furnishings

Examples of little in a Sentence

Adjective I have very little money, so I can't lend you any. I have less money than I did before. I got very little sleep last night. There's little hope of a rescue now. You have little choice but to pay attention. The new version bears little resemblance to the original. These programs have very little chance of succeeding. These trinkets have little or no value. We're having a little party this weekend. a little group of people Adverb She works very little and sleeps even less. Please speak as little as possible. We had little more than we needed. His art is little known in this country. Noun there's just a little of the pie left See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
In an interview earlier this month, Abigail’s great-aunt said the little girl’s parents were killed in their home at the Kfar Aza kibbutz. Josh Feldman, NBC News, 26 Nov. 2023 In the days after the terror attack, he was first told that his little girl was dead. Kerry J. Byrne Fox News, Fox News, 26 Nov. 2023 Jenner can be seen holding the little girl, with Blanco hugging them both from behind. Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 25 Nov. 2023 Meetings in Milan, New Delhi, and Buenos Aires yielded little of note. Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 25 Nov. 2023 But the last counteroffensive in the south so far brought little gains in more than five months, serving as the biggest proof the war has changed since Ukraine's early success. Oleksiy Pshemyskiy, ABC News, 25 Nov. 2023 Life is all about appreciating the little things, like the perfect latte foam. Micaela Arnett, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2023 The case illustrates a citywide problem, Mendelson said: Racking up unpaid fines, which can be pending for years before the city tries to collect them, does little to incentivize landlords to spend money on fixing the underlying violations. Danny Nguyen, Washington Post, 24 Nov. 2023 The December 2025 Schatz is trading at a yield of 3.08%, little changed from the 3.12% average yield at the previous auction on Oct. 17. WSJ, 14 Nov. 2023
Adverb
In recent trading: Stock futures were little changed. Chelsey Dulaney, WSJ, 24 Nov. 2023 There’s little worse in this community of the louche and larky privileged than being a try-hard. Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2023 As Chinese cities modernized into expanses of high-rises and gridded streets, the urban villages grew into chaotic, densely populated neighborhoods little touched by the gentrification surrounding them. Keith Bradsher, New York Times, 17 Nov. 2023 The actor also looked very little like the character. Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023 Chart: By Mathias Hammer for TIME Source: Nuclear Threat Initiative and Arms Control Association Read more: Russia’s Latest Threat: New Nuclear Tests Outside of the nuclear sphere, the treaties managing conventional arms have fared little better. Mathias Hammer, TIME, 13 Nov. 2023 Management broke out the results of ESPN separately for the first time this quarter, saying revenue at its sports networks was little changed at $3.91 billion, while earnings grew 14% to $981 million. Thomas Buckley, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2023 The Detroit area has the largest Arabic-speaking population in the U.S. Two days after the slaying, Detroit Police Chief James E. White held a press conference and told reporters very little. Rebecca Rosenberg, Fox News, 11 Nov. 2023 The intention to illuminate the political machinations of the Capitol and the importance of the games in maintaining the divide between the ruling class and the powerless plebs yields little beyond turgid gloom. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Nov. 2023
Noun
The event gives littles the opportunity to wear costumes and trick-or-treat from participating businesses. San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Oct. 2023 Chau, who was raised in Washington state, had a longtime fascination with adventure stories, especially those set in remote areas little explored by people from the industrialized world. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2023 Here's to all the grandparents in the world raising our littles! Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 4 Oct. 2023 For littles that don’t love a straightjacket approach to swaddling, this suit allows enough arm movement to bring their hands together inside the swaddle. Samson McDougall, Parents, 8 Sep. 2023 In person, Gurba does little to dispel her reputation for fearlessness. Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2023 Have your dogs on a leash so as to keep them with you at all times, especially the littles. 2. Adam Sennott, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Sep. 2023 The mayor understands that any future upgrades do little to console those residents with flooded basements. John Benson, cleveland, 26 July 2023 For parents of littles, there’s a spacious room to one side with pre-school toys and activities. Victoria Barber, Anchorage Daily News, 10 July 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'little.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Adverb, and Noun

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

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Pronoun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of little was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near little

Cite this Entry

“Little.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/little. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

little

1 of 3 adjective
lit·​tle ˈlit-ᵊl How to pronounce little (audio)
littler ˈlit-ᵊl-ər How to pronounce little (audio)
ˈlit-lər
or less ˈles How to pronounce little (audio) or lesser ˈles-ər How to pronounce little (audio) ; littlest ˈlit-ᵊl-əst How to pronounce little (audio)
ˈlit-ləst
or least ˈlēst How to pronounce little (audio)
1
a
: small in size
b
: young entry 1 sense 1a
was too little to remember
c
: small in comparison with related forms
little blue heron
d
: narrow entry 1 sense 3, mean
people with little minds
2
a
: small in quantity
there was little food to feed them
b
: short in duration
little time left
3
: small in importance
life's little problems
4
: being younger
my little brother
littleness noun

little

2 of 3 adverb
less ˈles How to pronounce little (audio) ; least ˈlēst How to pronounce little (audio)
1
: in a very small quantity or degree : slightly
had little more than we needed
a little known fact
2
: not very often
travels little

little

3 of 3 noun
1
: a small amount or quantity
2
: a short time or distance

Medical Definition

little

adjective
lit·​tle ˈlit-ᵊl How to pronounce little (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on little

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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