little 1 of 3

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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

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adverb

little

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noun

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
So far, though, the federal government has offered little to help parents fulfill MAHA ideals. Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2025 Chiarelli did venture into CHL signings (Braden Christoffer), but with little success. Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
Adverb
The incident reports speak little to the threats to traffic safety in Southeast Nashville but the data reveals another trend: census tracts that are 33%, 47% and 57% Hispanic or Latino. Liam Adams, The Tennessean, 29 Aug. 2025 At the time, the event was little noted in the United States or Europe. Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2025
Noun
But, with a runtime of about an hour and 35 minutes, the movie definitely hits the sweet spot for caregivers with busy schedules and for the littles who get restless. Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 18 July 2025 The stock market is kicking off the week little changed despite the latest trade headlines. Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 14 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for little
Recent Examples of Synonyms for little
Adjective
  • Such a short distance is considered well within reach of a basic marksman.
    Will Carless, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
  • In short, The Paper doesn’t quite escape the shadow of its big brother, but that’s just fine with us.
    Michael M. Rosen, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • This personal blender can whip up breakfast smoothies, sauces and dips, salsas, omelets, and more thanks to its small but mighty 250-watt power base and stainless steel cross blade.
    Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Among its 14 plant oils are argan kernel and rice bran, which regulate sebum production and loosen dead skin cells, respectively—and, together, leave your pores looking significantly smaller and your skin significantly smoother.
    Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Students have a narrow window to unlock access to training that could dramatically shape their post-grad trajectory.
    Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
  • For decades, OPOs have been bulky systems with narrow ranges.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • In a brief video snippet accompanying the post, Cyrus is seen in close-up staring directly into the camera while wearing what looks like surgical gauze around her chin and head as more white material is blown by a breeze around her face.
    Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Broader market reactions have been muted, barring brief spikes in oil prices when Israel entered direct confrontations with Hamas’ crude-rich patron Iran and with other of Tehran’s proxies, such as Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis.
    Ruxandra Iordache,Emma Graham, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Primordial black holes, meanwhile, are theorized to be much more diminutive than even stellar mass black holes, with masses predicted to be anywhere from that of giant planets down to average-sized asteroids.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Rather, when Labor Day Weekend ended, the man leading the league in that category was Corbin Carroll, the diminutive (by baseball standards) right fielder playing for the underwhelming Arizona Diamondbacks.
    Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Adverb
  • All major indexes dipped slightly Tuesday, with tech shares such as Nvidia and Microsoft pulling back.
    Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2025
  • That was almost two decades after the Academy had awarded him an honorary Oscar and slightly more than two years after President Obama had given him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
    Stephen Galloway, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2025
Adverb
  • But cash is rarely a long-term solution.
    Gregory Clifford, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
  • The president talks about China as an economic rival but rarely as a strategic one—a view neatly encapsulated by his decision last month to ease export controls on advanced chips, which granted Beijing a boost in the AI race in exchange for a cut of the resulting sales.
    Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 17 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • In the course of his 50-plus-year writing career, there's been a good bit of debate over Stephen King's ability to deliver a satisfying ending.
    Megan McCluskey, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
  • This evolved into a prototype chiefly engineered by Burrell Smith, selecting for its CPU the 8-bit Motorola 6809 as an upgrade from the Apple II's MOS 6502 but still keeping costs low.
    Cameron Kaiser, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Little.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/little. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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