little

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:

in little a little

Synonyms of little

• bit
• glimmer
• sprinkling
• splash
• shred
• hint
• speck
• tad
• touch
• lick

Examples of little in a Sentence

there's just a little of the pie left

Recent Examples on the Web

Champagne for the adults and apple juice for the littles. —Hedy Phillips, PEOPLE, 8 June 2026

Adults might opt for spa treatments and relaxing in an above-water cabin but littles can spend the day snorkeling or heading of to supervised activities on the resort. —Kaitlyn McInnis, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026

After all, most of us just want a peaceful day sans responsibilities, handmade cards from our littles, and quality time together. —Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Apr. 2026

And for all the effort to read between the lines, to connect the dots between moves and motivations, the truth is the Valkyries have given little away about what comes next. —Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing little

• a big fish in a little pond
• a little
• a little bit
• a little something
• as little as
• bear little relationship to/with
• dirty little secret
• every little bit helps
• every little thing
• have little to recommend it
• in little
• leave little to the imagination
• leave someone (with) no/little choice
• let someone in on a (little) secret
• little better than
• little bitty
• little bluestem
• little brother/sister
• little brown bat
• little by little
• little finger
• little guy
• little if any
• little leaf
• little magazine
• little man
• little more than
• little one
• little people
• little person
• little slam
• little theater
• little toe
• little tuna
• little tunny
• little woman
• little wonder
• live a little
• makes little/no sense
• meet with little success
• no little
• of little avail
• place/put little credence in
• precious little
• put/have little faith in
• the little guy
• the little man
• the little/small matter
• the little woman
• to little/no effect
• too little, too late
• very little love lost
• wired (a little) too tight/tightly
• wrap (someone) around one's (little) finger

Rhymes for little

• acquittal
• belittle
• committal
• hospital
• popliteal
• submittal
• transmittal
• brittle
• kittel
• kittle
• spital
• spittle

Kids Definition

little

1 of 3 adjective

lit·​tle ˈlit-ᵊl 

littler ˈlit-ᵊl-ər 

ˈlit-lər

or less ˈles  or lesser ˈles-ər  ; littlest ˈlit-ᵊl-əst 

ˈlit-ləst

or least ˈlēst 

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

ˈlit-ᵊl-nəs 

noun

little

2 of 3 adverb

less ˈles  ; least ˈlēst 

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 

littler ˈlit-ᵊl-ər, ˈlit-lər  or less ˈles  or lesser ˈles-ər  ; littlest ˈlit-ᵊl-əst, ˈlit-ləst  or least ˈlēst 

: 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