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Definition of littlenext
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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
Looking back, Wendy said the injury did little to dampen the celebration itself. Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 6 June 2026 According to clinical literature, the human body lacks the functional gene (GULO) to synthesize ascorbic acid endogenously, meaning our vitamin C pool can be fully depleted within as little as one to three months on a deficient diet. Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
Adverb
Stocks are little changed this morning after the S & P 500 ’s record high yesterday. Jim Cramer, CNBC, 3 June 2026 Most employee one-on-ones are little more than surface-level check-ins—something that comes up on the calendar that both employer and employee want to check off and get over with. Christopher Kaufman, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Noun
Strong adults will let the littles (who really should not be skiing with their own poles yet in most cases) grab their pole. Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 25 Feb. 2026 There are a host of other things available to entertain your littles, tweens, and teens around town, including The Butterfly Conservatory, Eco-Discovery Center, Shipwreck Museum, and Truman Waterfront Park’s splash pad. Ronny Maye, Essence, 1 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for little
Recent Examples of Synonyms for little
Adjective
  • The resort's short course, The Clutch, takes full advantage of the scenic setting, and fishing charters and nature tours are available from the marina.
    Allison Tibaldi, USA Today, 9 June 2026
  • All of this might seem a lot to go through for a few short words, but since those words are the first impression of the book, and have to be intriguing all on their own, the effort was well worthwhile—enough, hopefully, to invite readers to pick up the book and make their own decision.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 June 2026
Adjective
  • The National Federation of Independent Business has warned that small businesses and consumers who rely on energy, rather than oil giants, will end up holding the bag.
    Yaël Ossowski, Boston Herald, 30 May 2026
  • But as funding from cap-and-invest and the climate bond dwindle, the state must increasingly turn to Cal Fire, which devotes only a small portion of its budget to mitigation work.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
Adjective
  • Malaysian diver Lee Kian Lie told CNN that rescue divers were teaching the villagers how to dive out of the cave themselves, as the space is narrow and water levels are not coming down despite efforts to pump the water out.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
  • Delegates to the state conventions don’t mirror the broader electorate, and their candidate selections can often represent more narrow preference of the party base.
    Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 29 May 2026
Adjective
  • The goal came on a free shot from 10 yards out that snuck under the cross bar and sent Edina into a state of euphoria and the Raiders, likely, into a brief state of shock.
    Anya Armentrout, Twin Cities, 10 June 2026
  • Hey, this is a brief dark cloud on your horizon.
    Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 10 June 2026
Adjective
  • Despite its unnerving intimacy, which suggests either erotic pursuit or familiar proximity, the diminutive print calls to mind the photos of Saul Leiter, a figure surprisingly unmentioned in Ghirri’s essays despite his frequent fond allusions to American street photography.
    James Quandt, Artforum, 2 June 2026
  • One of the other creatures parked in Clark’s Backrooms nest is a diminutive entity in velvety red that strongly recalls a still, silent version of the Little Man From Another Place, a signature character from David Lynch’s Twin Peaks.
    Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 29 May 2026
Adverb
  • Thin ties dropped from the neckline of the bohemian-leaning silhouette, giving the dress a slightly undone finish against the high-shine black heels.
    Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 6 June 2026
  • Upgrading to the faster 150Mbps tier costs just slightly more, coming in at £22 ($29) a month on the 24-month plan or £32 ($43) on the flexible monthly option.
    David Phelan, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
Adverb
  • Some are seasonally inappropriate—for instance, winter puffers in a city where the temperature rarely falls below 77 degrees Fahrenheit—or cut for oversized Western silhouettes that dwarf the average Ghanaian body.
    Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 8 June 2026
  • But the historically complex process has rarely been implemented; between 1990 and 2017, the Justice Department filed an average of just 11 legal complaints per year seeking to denaturalize American citizens, according to historical data.
    Aki Nace, CBS News, 8 June 2026
Noun
  • In Cawker City, population 465, the twine ball is a symbol of community—a collective commitment to the bit.
    Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
  • A little bit of the all-or-nothing from him.
    David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Little.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/little. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.

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