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little 1 of 3

adjective

ˈli-tᵊl How to pronounce little (audio)
Definition of littlenext
1
as in short
having relatively little height there was a little hedge separating the two lawns

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in small
lacking importance there were just a few little details left to take care of

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in narrow
not broad or open in views or opinions little-minded people who dislike the fact that human society is always progressing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in brief
not lasting for a considerable time let's take a little pause to relax

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in diminutive
of a size that is less than average the petting zoo has a little horse in addition to all of the goats and sheep

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

little

2 of 3

adverb

1
as in slightly
in a very small quantity or degree we had little more than we needed to survive in the wilderness

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rarely
not often he's been studying very little for the bar exam

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

little

3 of 3

noun

as in bit
a very small amount there's just a little of the pie left

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word little distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of little are diminutive, miniature, minute, small, and tiny. While all these words mean "noticeably below average in size," little is more absolute in implication often carrying the idea of petiteness, pettiness, insignificance, or immaturity.

your pathetic little smile

When is diminutive a more appropriate choice than little?

Although the words diminutive and little have much in common, diminutive implies abnormal smallness.

diminutive bonsai plants

In what contexts can miniature take the place of little?

The synonyms miniature and little are sometimes interchangeable, but miniature applies to an exactly proportioned reproduction on a very small scale.

a dollhouse with miniature furnishings

When would minute be a good substitute for little?

The words minute and little can be used in similar contexts, but minute implies extreme smallness.

a minute amount of caffeine in the soda

How are the words small and little related?

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

a relatively small backyard

How do tiny and minute relate to one another, in the sense of little?

Tiny is an informal equivalent to minute.

tiny cracks formed in the painting

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of little
Adjective
Dating back to the Ming Dynasty, the Chinese used the term paper tiger to describe someone who appears powerful and intimidating but ultimately poses little threat. — Antonio Ferme, Variety, 26 Sep. 2026 Police have released very little information about what led up to Fortune’s death. — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 26 Sep. 2026
Adverb
Saab was little known even in Venezuela until after his first arrest, in 2020, when Maduro’s government invested huge resources rallying public support for his release. — ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026 Beyond those two near-misses, and a huge late chance for Bryan Mbeumo, United created little though, and can only apportion so much blame for the loss to bad luck. — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Noun
Meanwhile, five pools including one just for littles—as well as complimentary non-motorized water sports—afford plenty of opportunities to stay refreshed. — Gina Kramer, USA Today, 25 July 2026 Harsher penalties do little to deter crime or prevent recidivism among young people. — Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for little
Recent Examples of Synonyms for little
  1. short
  2. small
  3. narrow
  4. brief
  5. diminutive
  6. slightly
  7. rarely
  8. bit
Adjective
  • Keep scrolling for six more of my cashmere sweater finds including a short-sleeve option for under $60.
    — Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Moreover, the short extension of the trade armistice only underscores its fragility; Beijing is still squeezing flows of rare earths to extract concessions from the US and coerce its allies, including Japan.
    — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of short
Adjective
  • Book the white, cream, and silver Diaghilev suite, which has double doors that open onto a small balcony with the bay of Positano at your feet.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Instead, excess testosterone is converted into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which causes the hair follicles to become smaller and then the hair strands to become thinner.
    — Lindsey Bever, Washington Post, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of small
Adjective
  • If truly transformational donors must remain a narrow exception because their philanthropy creates opportunities for thousands of students, say so openly and make that exception exceedingly rare.
    — Jayson Weingarten, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Glen Arbor to Traverse City On the Leelanau Peninsula, M-22 squeezes onto a narrow isthmus between Lake Michigan and Lake Leelanau, landing in the resort community of Leland.
    — Mike Norton, Midwest Living, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of narrow
Adjective
  • The rally coincided with Bitcoin’s brief move above $87,000, a level not seen since January, as the broader crypto market advanced.
    — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026
  • When Sora existed for that brief minute, TKO sent OpenAI a letter telling it to stop using UFC and WWE footage.
    — Lane Brown, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of brief
Adjective
  • That said, the actress playing the diminutive vigilante — a remarkable Sneha Kumari — drums up just enough passion and intrigue to counterbalance this relatively rote unfurling.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 21 Sep. 2026
  • This is a tricky proposition, as these black holes would have a lifetime as diminutive as their size.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of diminutive
Adverb
  • General Daily Insight for September 25, 2026 Reality may feel slightly out of focus today.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Gray is expected to benefit from the congressional boundaries created under Proposition 50, which gave the district a slightly more Democratic edge.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of slightly
Adverb
  • These behaviors were rarely seen in the absence of cocaine, illustrating how a normally varied set of actions can become restricted to a persistent behavioral pattern, according to a press release.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026
  • With 1,884 yards, 18 touchdowns and only one interception while completing 75% of his passes this season, Orange High’s junior quarterback has rarely faltered when dropping back.
    — Caleb Otte, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of rarely
Noun
  • That bit of advice was as fruitful to Larry Golden as that swimming scholarship.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026
  • By balancing the speed of physical random number generators with the clarity of their signals, the new device principle, in theory, can achieve processing speed yielding high bit-rate with signal clarity and stochasticity.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of bit

Phrases Containing little

Browse Nearby Words

litters
little
little bitty
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Cite this Entry

“Little.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/little. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

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