1
a
: small in size
She has little feet.
a little island/airplane
a little business
Our school is little.
a tiny little fish
This room is littler [=(more commonly) smaller] than that one.
b
: not tall : short
a little man
a littler [=(more commonly) smaller, shorter] man
c
: small in amount
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/precious little chance of succeeding.
The help he offered us was too little, too late. [=it was not as much help as we needed and it was offered too late to be helpful]
There has been little if any improvement. [=there has been almost no improvement]
These trinkets have little or no value.
There was no little sadness in his voice. [=there was a lot of sadness in his voice]
d
: not having many things or people included
We're having a little party this weekend.
a little group of people
a little village
her little hometown
2
: young or younger
I loved swimming when I was little.
a little boy/girl
He's very proud of his little boy/girl. [=of his young son/daughter]
How's your little one? [=your young(est) son or daughter]
my little brother/sister [=my brother/sister who is younger than I am]
3
always used before a noun
: not lasting for a long time
I have to take a little break.
We sat down for a little chat.
We talked for a little while.
4
always used before a noun
: not very important
There are a few little problems that still have to be dealt with.
He memorized every little detail of the scene.
—sometimes used in an ironic way to describe something importantThere's just one little problem we haven't discussed: the company is going bankrupt!
I need to talk to you about the little matter of the money you owe me.
5
always used before a noun
: not easily seen, heard, etc.
He gave her a little smile.
She made a little wave with her hand.
She spoke in a quiet little voice.
6
always used before a noun
a
—used to refer to someone or something in an approving or friendly way
That's a nice little car you've got there.
You poor little thing.
Bless your little heart.
b
—used to refer to someone or something in a disapproving or critical way
He's a little jerk.
It was a mean little joke.
She has a dirty little secret.
7
always used before a noun
: not open to new ideas
people with little [=small, narrow] minds
less; least
1
a
: in a very small amount or degree
She works very little and sleeps even less.
Please speak as little as possible.
b
: hardly at all : not very much
We had little more than we needed.
She cared little (about) what he thought.
His art is little known in this country.
a little-known fact
She little knew what fate had in store for her. = Little did she know what fate had in store for her.
2
: not very often
She travels little. [=she rarely travels]
: a small amount or quantity
There is little we can do to help.
Little is known about her life.
They say precious little [=they do not say much] about their job.
They understand little of what is going on.
His argument did little to change their minds. [=his argument did not change their minds]
Cite this Entry
“Little.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/little. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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