What does "little" mean?
A small amount.
Little
/ˈlɪ.tl̩/ adj, adv, det, name, noun, pron, slang
adj, adv, det, name, noun, pron, slang ·Top 500 ·Elementary level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A small amount.
- Grammar: little is listed as adj, adv, det, name, noun, pron, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: small, trivial, a bit, a bit.
- Useful contrasts: big, large, massive.
- Usage evidence: "What's the matter?" asked the little white rabbit.
How to use "little"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "little" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "little" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "little" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "little" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "little" is acting as adj, adv, det, name, noun, pron, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "small" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "little", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A small amount. singular, uncountable
"I hope the little we've done will be useful."
- 2 a small amount or duration wordnet
- 3 A child, particularly an infant. countable, informal
- 4 An adult in a child-like role, or in the more junior of two paired roles.; A newly initiated member of a sorority or fraternity, who is mentored by a big. countable
"He was there the night of Cristoph's party. All the littles were assigned to their bigs. Ian and Christoph had rushed the same fraternity. When they became upperclassmen, they both ended up on the board."
- 5 An adult in a child-like role, or in the more junior of two paired roles.; The participant in ageplay who acts out the younger role. countable
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 An adult in a child-like role, or in the more junior of two paired roles.; One who has mentally age regressed to a childlike state. countable
"People with [dissociative identity] disorder frequently have a younger personality among their distinctive personalities. However, it’s believed that the "little" may not be a separate personality. Instead, it may be a regressed version of the original personality."
- 7 Ellipsis of little go (“type of examination”). abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable
"I go up for my Little tomorrow."
Adjective
- 1 Small in size.
"This is a little table."
- 2 Small in size.; Small and underdeveloped, particularly (of a male) in the genitals.
""You are a little, little man," she proclaimed, staring obviously below my waist as she pronounced the second "little." It was almost disappointing. I'd heard that one before, but it still left a new scar each time."
- 3 Insignificant, trivial.
"It’s of little importance."
- 4 Insignificant, trivial.; Used to belittle a person. offensive
"Listen up, you little shit."
- 5 Very young, of childhood age.
"Did he tell you any embarrassing stories about when she was little?"
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 Younger.
"This is my little sister."
- 7 Used with the name of a place, especially of a country or its capital, to denote a neighborhood whose residents or storekeepers are from that place. capitalized, often
"If you want to find Little France, take any turning on the north side of Leicester square, and wander in a zigzag fashion Oxford Streetwards. The Little is rather smokier and more squalid than the Great France upon the other side of the Manche."
- 8 Used with the name of a place, especially of a country or its capital, to denote a neighborhood whose residents or storekeepers are from that place.; To imply that the inhabitants of the place have an insular attitude and are hostile to those they perceive as foreign. capitalized, derogatory, often
"He is the embodiment of Fleet Street bullying, using his newspaper to peddle his Little-England, curtain-twitching Alan Partridgesque view of the world, which manages to combine sanctimonious, pompous moralising and prurient, voyeuristic, judgmental obsession"
- 9 Having few members.
"little herd"
- 10 Operating on a small scale. capitalized, often
"Little Steel"
- 11 Short in duration; brief.
"I feel better after my little sleep."
- 12 Small in extent of views or sympathies; narrow, shallow, contracted; mean, illiberal, ungenerous.
"The long-necked geese of the world that are ever hissing dispraise, / Because their natures are little."
Adjective
- 1 small in a way that arouses feelings (of tenderness or its opposite depending on the context) wordnet
- 2 (informal) small and of little importance wordnet
- 3 limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent wordnet
- 4 (of a voice) faint wordnet
- 5 lowercase wordnet
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 (quantifier used with mass nouns) small in quantity or degree; not much or almost none or (with ‘a’) at least some wordnet
- 7 (of children and animals) young, immature wordnet
- 8 low in stature; not tall; describing something or someone with a stature less than normal wordnet
Adverb
- 1 Not much.
"This is a little-known fact: the new model is little faster than the old one."
- 2 Not at all.
"Little did he know she never did like him, did he? - Certainly, he little knew what awaited him."
Adverb
- 1 not much wordnet
Determiner
- 1 Not much, only a little: only a small amount (of).
"There is (very) little water left."
Pronoun
- 1 Not much; not a large amount.
"Little is known about his early life."
Proper Noun
- 1 A characteristical surname. countable, uncountable
- 2 An unincorporated community in Breathitt County, Kentucky, United States, named after the local Little family. countable, uncountable
- 3 An unincorporated community in Tyler County, West Virginia, United States. countable, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
""What's the matter?" asked the little white rabbit."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "little"?
Common synonyms include: small, trivial, a bit, a bit, a breath, a little.
How do you use "little" in a sentence?
"What's the matter?" asked the little white rabbit.
How do you pronounce "little"?
Pronounced /ˈlɪ.tl̩/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English litel, from Old English lyttel, lȳtel, from Proto-West Germanic *lūtil, from Proto-Germanic *lūtilaz (“tending to stoop, crouched, little”), from Proto-Indo-European *lewd- (“to bend, bent, small”), equivalent to lout + -le. Cognate with Dutch luttel, regional German lütt and lützel, Saterland Frisian litje, West Frisian lyts, Low German lütt, lüttje. Related also to Old English lūtan (“to bow, bend low”); and perhaps to Old English lytiġ (“deceitful”), Gothic 𐌻𐌹𐌿𐍄𐍃 (liuts, “deceitful”); compare also Icelandic lítill (“little”), Faroese lítil, Swedish liten, Danish liden, lille, Gothic 𐌻𐌴𐌹𐍄𐌹𐌻𐍃 (leitils), which appear to have a different root vowel. More at lout.
Etymology 2
English surname, from the adjective little. This has also been translated and adapted from similar-meaning names in other languages, such as: * Irish Ó Beagáin (“descendant of Beagán”), from a diminutive of beag (“small”), see also Began. * French Petit and Polish Mały * Native American names such as Navajo hastiin yázhí (“little man”), see Yazzie. Compare Littleman, Shorty.