little
little /ˈlɪtəl/
adjective
-
()
Limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
(
little
, small
)
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
A little dining room
a little dining room
A little house
a little house
A small car
a small car
A little (or small) group
a little (or small) group
-
()
(quantifier used with mass nouns) small in quantity or degree; not much or almost none or (with 'a') at least some
(
slight
, little
)
(quantifier used with mass nouns) small in quantity or degree; not much or almost none or (with 'a') at least some
Little rain fell in May
little rain fell in May
Gave it little thought
gave it little thought
Little time is left
little time is left
We still have little money
we still have little money
A little hope remained
a little hope remained
There's slight chance that it will work
there's slight chance that it will work
There's a slight chance it will work
there's a slight chance it will work
-
()
(of children and animals) young, immature
(
small
, little
)
(of children and animals) young, immature
What a big little boy you are
what a big little boy you are
Small children
small children
-
()
[Informal]
Small and of little importance
(
fiddling
[Informal] , footling
[Informal] , lilliputian
, niggling
[Informal] , petty
[Informal] , picayune
[Informal, N. American] , piddling
[Informal] , piffling
[Informal] , niggly
[Informal] , little
[Informal] , trivial
[Informal] , piddly
[Informal] )
small and of little importance
A fiddling sum of money
a fiddling sum of money
A footling gesture
a footling gesture
Our worries are lilliputian compared with those of countries that are at war
our worries are lilliputian compared with those of countries that are at war
A little (or small) matter
a little (or small) matter
A dispute over niggling details
a dispute over niggling details
Limited to petty enterprises
limited to petty enterprises
Piffling efforts
piffling efforts
Giving a police officer a free meal may be against the law, but it seems to be a picayune infraction
giving a police officer a free meal may be against the law, but it seems to be a picayune infraction
-
()
(of a voice) faint
(
small
, little
)
(of a voice) faint
A little voice
a little voice
A still small voice
a still small voice
-
Small in a way that arouses feelings (of tenderness or its opposite depending on the context)
(
little
)
small in a way that arouses feelings (of tenderness or its opposite depending on the context)
A nice little job
a nice little job
Bless your little heart
bless your little heart
My dear little mother
my dear little mother
A sweet little deal
a sweet little deal
I'm tired of your petty little schemes
I'm tired of your petty little schemes
Filthy little tricks
filthy little tricks
What a nasty little situation
what a nasty little situation
-
Lowercase
(
little
, minuscule
, small
)
lowercase
Little a
little a
Small a
small a
E.e.cummings's poetry is written all in minuscule letters
e.e.cummings's poetry is written all in minuscule letters
-
Low in stature; not tall
(
little
, short
)
low in stature; not tall
He was short and stocky
he was short and stocky
Short in stature
short in stature
A short smokestack
a short smokestack
A little man
a little man
adverb
-
()
Not much
(
little
)
not much
He talked little about his family
he talked little about his family
noun
-
()
A small amount or duration
(
little
)
a small amount or duration
He accepted the little they gave him
he accepted the little they gave him