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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

little

3 of 3

noun

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
An honor that seems to bring things full circle for that stubborn little girl who dreamed of performing on stages around the world from her farm. — Ilaria Perrotta, Vanity Fair, 24 Oct. 2026 That little girl was apparently perfectly built for fraud, somehow, and found the perfect environment in Silicon Valley, where exaggeration and outright lying were de rigueur. — Torie Bosch, STAT, 24 Oct. 2026
Adverb
Individual growth forecasts also differed little based on which party the respondents thought would control Congress. — Steve Liesman, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026 An array of Yemeni government forces and southern separatists struggled to push the Houthis back, and the battle lines moved little before a 2022 ceasefire. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 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
  • That was soon followed by two short drives, both finished by junior running back Dylan Riley.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets of Paris in today’s demonstrations, which were described by a senior police officer, speaking to CNN affiliate BFMTV, as largely peaceful — until a short while ago.
    — Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of short
Adjective
  • The Sun’s gravity confines dense plasma, while terrestrial machines must create conditions for useful fusion within a much smaller space.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Ear seeding is a needle-free acupuncture technique that uses small beads held to the ear with adhesive to stimulate specific pressure points.
    — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of small
Adjective
  • Those qualities are attractive, but concentrating exclusively on them directs many investors toward the same narrow set of service companies.
    — Chris Russo, Sportico.com, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The winning architecture is a stack of narrow intelligences pointed at what each one is good at, coordinated through a harness that knows which one to use when.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of narrow
Adjective
  • Misiorowski didn’t record a strikeout in the first three innings for the first time in his brief career and finished with two, matching his career low.
    — Rob Maaddi, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Video footage released by Romania's intelligence service showed a person climbing the ladder of a building's fire escape, followed by brief flashes and flames engulfing a building.
    — STEPHEN McGRATH, Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of brief
Adjective
  • Mini-moons’ proximity to Earth, and their low relative speeds, means less rocket propellant is needed to get out to these diminutive targets and back to Earth.
    — Andrew Jones, Space.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The evening, co-hosted by Vanity Fair, marked a continuation in the film’s already lengthy journey, with a suitably ambitious exhibition pulling back the curtain on costumes, puppets, props and diminutive sets.
    — Bridget Arsenault, Vanity Fair, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of diminutive
Adverb
  • The course of Alzheimer’s disease is slightly slower than that of Lewy body dementia, according to Vossel.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Although Ossoff is heavily favored to win reelection, Bottoms is trailing Jackson slightly in the RealClearPolitics average of polls heading into Election Day.
    — Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of slightly
Adverb
  • These sounds are strange bedfellows, but the delirium rarely feels indulgent or trivial.
    — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Hitler rarely used the Kehlsteinhaus — unlike the Berghof residence, also in the Berchtesgaden area, the ruins of which were demolished in 1952.
    — Geir Moulson, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of rarely
Noun
  • Topped with cream cheese frosting, toffee, and almond candy bits, this scrumptious pumpkin spice cake will be a winner at your next fall party.
    — Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Adding the 11-tap receiver equalizer increased the rate to 200 Gb/s, with the modulator consuming 63 fJ per bit.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 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 31 Oct. 2026.

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