LITTLE • DICTIONARY ONE.COM • Definition of Little

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/lˈɪtəl/ Listen

Little

adjective

(the regular comparative and superlative of this word, littler and littlest, are often used as comparatives of the sense small; but in the sense few, less or, rarely, lesser is the proper comparative and least is the superlative)

Limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent. Synonym: small. "A little house" , "A small car" , "A little (or small) group" Antonyms: large, big.

(quantifier used with mass nouns) small in quantity or degree; not much or almost none or (with 'a') at least some. Synonym: slight. "Gave it little thought" , "Little time is left" , "We still have little money" , "A little hope remained" , "There's slight chance that it will work" , "There's a slight chance it will work" Antonym: much.

(of children and animals) young, immature. Synonym: small. "Small children"

(informal) small and of little importance. Synonyms: fiddling, footling, lilliputian, niggling, petty, picayune, piddling, piffling, trivial. "A footling gesture" , "Our worries are lilliputian compared with those of countries that are at war" , "A little (or small) matter" , "A dispute over niggling details" , "Limited to petty enterprises" , "Piffling efforts" , "Giving a police officer a free meal may be against the law, but it seems to be a picayune infraction"

(of a voice) faint. Synonym: small. "A still small voice"

Low in stature; not tall. Synonym: short. "Short in stature" , "A short smokestack" , "A little man" Antonym: tall.

Lowercase. Synonyms: minuscule, small. "Small a" , "E.e.cummings's poetry is written all in minuscule letters"

Small in a way that arouses feelings (of tenderness or its opposite depending on the context). "Bless your little heart" , "My dear little mother" , "A sweet little deal" , "I'm tired of your petty little schemes" , "Filthy little tricks" , "What a nasty little situation"

adverb

Not much.

noun

A small amount or duration.