LITTLE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does little mean? 

• LITTLE (noun)
  The noun LITTLE has 1 sense:

1. a small amount or duration

  Familiarity information: LITTLE used as a noun is very rare.

• LITTLE (adjective)
  The adjective LITTLE has 8 senses:

1. limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

2. (quantifier used with mass nouns) small in quantity or degree; not much or almost none or (with 'a') at least some

3. (of children and animals) young, immature

4. (informal) small and of little importance

5. (of a voice) faint

6. low in stature; not tall

7. lowercase

8. small in a way that arouses feelings (of tenderness or its opposite depending on the context)

  Familiarity information: LITTLE used as an adjective is common.

• LITTLE (adverb)
  The adverb LITTLE has 1 sense:

1. not much

  Familiarity information: LITTLE used as an adverb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• LITTLE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A small amount or duration

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Context example:

he accepted the little they gave him

Hypernyms ("little" is a kind of...):

small indefinite amount; small indefinite quantity (an indefinite quantity that is below average size or magnitude)

• LITTLE (adjective)

Comparative: littler   
Superlative: littlest   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

Synonyms:

little; small

Context example:

a little (or small) group

Similar:

olive-sized (about the size of an olive)

undersize; undersized (smaller than normal for its kind)

small-scale (created or drawn on a small scale)

smallish (rather small)

littler; smaller (small or little relative to something else)

slender; slim (small in quantity)

puny; runty; shrimpy ((used especially of persons) of inferior size)

pocket-size; pocket-sized; pocketable (small enough to be carried in a garment pocket)

miniscule; minuscule (extremely small)

miniature (being on a very small scale)

micro (extremely small in scale or scope or capability)

microscopic; microscopical (so small as to be invisible without a microscope)

infinitesimal; minute (infinitely or immeasurably small)

half-size (half the usual or regular size)

gnomish (used of small deformed creatures)

elfin; elflike (small and delicate)

dwarfish (atypically small)

dinky; insignificant (small and unimpressive)

bittie; bitty; itsy-bitsy; itty-bitty; teensy; teensy-weensy; teentsy; teeny; teeny-weeny; wee; weensy; weeny ((used informally) very small)

bantam; diminutive; flyspeck; lilliputian; midget; petite; tiny (very small)

subatomic (of smaller than atomic dimensions)

atomic (immeasurably small)

lesser (smaller in size or amount or value)

Attribute:

size (the physical magnitude of something (how big it is))

Antonym:

big (above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent)

Derivation:

littleness (the property of having a relatively small size)

Sense 2

Meaning:

(quantifier used with mass nouns) small in quantity or degree; not much or almost none or (with 'a') at least some

Synonyms:

little; slight

Context example:

there's a slight chance it will work

Similar:

small (slight or limited; especially in degree or intensity or scope)

Also:

less ((comparative of 'little' usually used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning not as great in amount or degree)

Antonym:

much ((quantifier used with mass nouns) great in quantity or degree or extent)

Sense 3

Meaning:

(of children and animals) young, immature

Synonyms:

little; small

Context example:

small children

Similar:

immature; young ((used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth)

Sense 4

Meaning:

(informal) small and of little importance

Synonyms:

fiddling; footling; lilliputian; little; niggling; petty; picayune; piddling; piffling; trivial

Context example:

giving a police officer a free meal may be against the law, but it seems to be a picayune infraction

Similar:

unimportant (not important)

Domain usage:

colloquialism (a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech)

Derivation:

littleness (lack of generosity in trifling matters)

Sense 5

Meaning:

(of a voice) faint

Synonyms:

little; small

Context example:

a still small voice

Similar:

soft ((of sound) relatively low in volume)

Derivation:

littleness (the property of having relatively little strength or vigor)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Low in stature; not tall

Synonyms:

little; short

Context example:

a little man

Similar:

chunky; dumpy; low-set; squat; squatty; stumpy (short and thick; as e.g. having short legs and heavy musculature)

compact; heavyset; stocky; thick; thickset (having a short and solid form or stature)

half-length (representing only the upper half of the body)

pint-size; pint-sized; runty; sawed-off; sawn-off (well below average height)

short-stalked (of plants having relatively short stalks)

squab; squabby (short and fat)

Also:

low (literal meanings; being at or having a relatively small elevation or upward extension)

Attribute:

height; stature ((of a standing person) the distance from head to foot)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Lowercase

Synonyms:

little; minuscule; small

Context example:

e.e.cummings's poetry is written all in minuscule letters

Similar:

lowercase (relating to small (not capitalized) letters that were kept in the lower half of a compositor's type case)

Sense 8

Meaning:

Small in a way that arouses feelings (of tenderness or its opposite depending on the context)

Context example:

what a nasty little situation

Similar:

emotional (of more than usual emotion)

• LITTLE (adverb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Not much

Context example:

he talked little about his family

 Context examples 

But the queen said, “I will have the fairies also, that they might be kind and good to our little daughter.”

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

They talked over the new plan while old Hannah cleared the table, then out came the four little work baskets, and the needles flew as the girls made sheets for Aunt March.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Mastcam sees color very similarly to what human eyes see, although it is actually a little less sensitive to blue than people are.

(Sunset in Mars' Gale Crater, NASA)

During the winter, the Arctic receives very little sunlight and reflects less light.

(Earthshine, NASA)

The Kuna make a drink with dried and ground cocoa beans (the seeds of the cocoa tree) along with a little added sweetener.

(Can Chocolate Really Be Good for You?, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

His two dogs stayed close by him, one on either side, leaning against him for protection, crying and whimpering, and at times snarling desperately when a wolf approached a little closer than usual.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

But the little woman evidently expected her to answer; so Dorothy said, with hesitation, "You are very kind, but there must be some mistake. I have not killed anything."

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

Savers consume very little energy in their activities and, therefore, the difference between sitting/lying or standing is practically nil for them.

(Spending more time standing helps increase energy expenditure and combats the effects of a sedentary lifestyle, University of Granada)

Presently he addressed me—"Your name, little girl?

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

This is a sturdy, short legged, little dog with a rough-textured, weatherproof coat of about 2-3 inches in length.

(Australian Terrier, NCI Thesaurus)