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little

little

∞ 1.0
Small in size or amount, often used to show care
  • adjective
  • /ˈlɪtəl/
: pequeño
  • He bought a little puppy that he found at the shelter last week.
  • a little bit
  • a little more
  • little things

I love like the little rose gold kind of a thing.

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Examples

  • It's just like a nice little cactus garden.

  • Feel like it's a nice little collection of things.

  • Big castle? - No, just a little castle.

  • Let's play a little game.

  • It's this really cute little shift denim dress.

  • Look, we've got a little door and little windows.

  • Hey, no one could possibly break into our snug little home.

  • I am wearing the softest little sweater here ever.

  • They got the cute little umbrella drinks.

  • She planted a little garden in her backyard to brighten up the space.

Synonyms

small
vslittle
∞ 1.0

Not large in size or amount

is similar but carries more casual or affectionate tone
tiny
vslittle
∞ 1.0

So small it can fit in your hand

is milder and can also express affection rather than extreme smallness
slight
vslittle
513 1.2

Small in amount or degree

is the adjective more tied to physical size and affection
miniature
vslittle
108 3.6

Very small in size compared with the usual type

is less comparative and can describe general smallness or affection
wee
vslittle
  • UK
108 7.5

Very small in size or amount

is the neutral common adjective sometimes used with warmth
teeny
vslittle
  • Informal
86 1.0

Very small in size so you can hold it in one hand

is the common adjective used in wider registers and ages
bitty
vslittle
  • Informal
55 8.1

Very small, like a baby mouse

is the common word used more broadly and sometimes warmly
lil
vslittle
  • Slang
47 9.8

An informal word that shows something is small

is the standard form used more neutrally and sometimes affectionately
precious little
vslittle
  • Informal
29 4.5

Only a very small amount remains

is the word for modest size or amount sometimes warmly
itty
vslittle
  • Informal
29 8.1

Very small in size

is the regular adjective used more broadly and less childishly
itty-bitty
vslittle
  • Informal
27 5.4

Very small and hard to notice

is the normal adjective without forced playfulness or childlike tone
minuscule
vslittle
23 4.4

Very small in size or amount

is the common word used more casually and sometimes affectionately
itsy-bitsy
vslittle
  • Informal
20 2.1

Very small and often looking cute

is the neutral form used more naturally in everyday speech
bitsy
vslittle
  • Informal
19 6.3

Very small in a way that seems cute

is the ordinary adjective that can be neutral or affectionate
diminutive
vslittle
17 6.8

Very small in size

is the ordinary adjective used in general contexts and for affection
miniscule
vslittle
  • US
17 4.3

Very small and easy to miss

is the preferred spelling and is used in neutral or affectionate contexts
weeny
vslittle
  • Informal
13 6.9

Very small in size

is the standard descriptor used more neutrally and broadly
teeny-weeny
vslittle
  • Informal
10 6.3

A very small thing that is much smaller than usual

is the everyday adjective used without the childish exaggeration
weensy
vslittle
  • Informal
10 8.6

Very small and often cute, like a tiny kitten

is the regular adjective without strong childlike playfulness
smallish
vslittle
9 2.0

A little smaller than usual

is the direct word for smallness and can be more affectionate
teensy-weensy
vslittle
  • Informal
7 7.7

Very small and hard to see

is more neutral and can carry mild affection instead
petit
vslittle
1 7.1

Small in size or amount, often used in law and food

is the general everyday adjective used across most contexts and speech
diddy
vslittle
  • Baby Talk
1 7.9

Very small and cute

is used more generally for smallness without extra cuteness
leetle
vslittle
  • Informal
1 9.5

Small in size or amount used in a friendly playful way

is the normal spelling used in neutral or affectionate contexts
lilliputian
vslittle
1 9.9

Very small or unimportant

is a common everyday adjective used more simply and warmly
bittie
vslittle
  • Informal
9.9

Very small in size or amount

is the standard adjective often used with mild affection
teentsy
vslittle
  • Informal
8.4

So small that you can hardly see it

is the normal adjective used in both speech and writing without play

Antonyms

big
∞ 1.0

Larger than usual in size or amount

∞ 1.0

Bigger than average in size, number, or amount

∞ 2.5

Important and big enough to make a difference

Idioms

∞ 1.0

A small amount, not very much

little by little
  • Informal
36 2.3

Gradually in small amounts over time

All small details of a person's life or a situation

precious little
  • Informal
29 4.5

Only a very small amount remains

16 1.3

In any way, even the smallest amount

quite a little
  • Informal
13 6.6

A fairly large amount of something

little old me
  • Informal
8 9.3

A modest, joking way to talk about yourself when you get praise or attention

5 9.9

A phrase to tell someone they do not believe enough

a little bird
  • Informal
3 8.5

Someone told the speaker something without saying who

2 8.1

You say this when you hear something but do not say who told you

Small things you do or give are important because they add up

1 9.9

A playful phrase that says another person or pet is welcome too

to little avail
  • Archaic
1 7.4

With little success and no real result

1 6.2

A very active person who works hard and gets many things done

Almost no chance of being wrong

1 7.4

Helps in a small, quiet, personal way

A peaceful small-town feeling with friendly neighbors like in old TV shows

A small, disappointing thing that does not help enough

Small regular efforts lead to big results over time

To make decisions using feelings instead of careful thought

To make someone do what you want by charming them

Compounds

∞ 1.0

A small amount of something

∞ 1.0

A young girl who is not yet a teenager

293 1.0

A brother who is younger than you

194 1.0

A sister who is younger than you

little lady
  • Informal
124 4.4

A woman or girl spoken to in a warm, slightly old-fashioned way

76 2.8

An organized baseball and softball league for children with teams, games, and coaching

49 7.3

Few people know about it

little angel
  • Baby Talk
47 2.7

A child who behaves well and is much loved

little old lady
  • Informal
33 4.2

An older woman who seems gentle and harmless

17 6.4

A feeling of not trusting people or plans much

17 1.0

The smallest finger on the hand that is farthest from the thumb

14 3.2

A person or thing that makes a task easier

14 8.2

A small green creature said to come from another planet

13 2.3

A girl in a famous fairy tale who meets a wolf while visiting her grandmother

Chicken Little
  • Literature
9 8.1

A person who panics about small problems and warns others without reason

little old man
  • Informal
9 2.1

An old small man who many people like

A very short adult often because of a medical condition called dwarfism

A simple black dress to wear to many events like a party or dinner

A group of children who play organized baseball in a local league

7 1.0

Smallest toe at the outer edge of the human foot

7 7.7

An informal name for a bathroom for men or boys

5 2.9

A small human hand that often belongs to a child

This Little Piggy
  • Baby Talk
4 8.4

A traditional English children's rhyme that counts toes while a parent wiggles them

4 4.8

A small theater where students or community groups perform new plays

3 3.0

A child between eight and twelve who plays on an organized youth baseball team

A group of seven stars that look like a small spoon in the northern sky with Polaris at its handle

A young woman who seems unhappy or lonely even though she has a lot of money

2 5.1

A small bird that hunts mice with a round head and yellow eyes

1 9.7

A boy who is too polite and too neatly dressed

A small thing that helps a parent get through the day, like a drink, medicine, or tool

A young man who has a lot of money but feels lonely or unhappy

1 8.2

A small child who makes trouble in a playful way

1 8.0

Very little help when you try to do something

A river in Wyoming and Montana that flows by the 1876 battle site

little moppet
  • Baby Talk
1 8.4

A small, cute child often a baby or toddler

A 1876 battle in Montana where United States soldiers led by Custer lose to Sioux and Cheyenne warriors

little terror
  • Informal
1 7.2

A child who behaves badly and causes a lot of trouble

little man
  • Informal
1 6.5

A person who feels small and powerless against those in power

1 7.2

A slow time someone takes on purpose that annoys other people

little green man
  • Literature
1 9.6

A soldier in green with no badge sent so a country can deny sending them

little emperor
  • Offensive
1 8.5

A child who is spoiled because parents give them everything they want

1 8.1

A river that flows from northern Wyoming into the Bighorn River in southern Montana known for Custer's Last Stand

A river in the western United States famous for the 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn

1 8.4

A small wild grass like barley that grows in fields and along roads

little owie
  • Baby Talk
1 7.5

A small hurt a child gets, like a scratch or bump

little potato
  • Specialized
1 9.8

A plant disease that makes potatoes small and misshapen

little Eichmann
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A person who follows orders without thinking, often in a large organization

An 1876 battle in Montana where General Custer's soldiers were defeated by Sioux and Cheyenne

A river in the north-central United States that starts in northeast Wyoming and joins the Missouri River in North Dakota

1 2.2

The short pointer on a clock that shows the hour

1 6.0

A small brown flying animal common in North America that sleeps in houses and forests

1 8.6

Small brown water bird with a short neck that swims and dives on ponds

1 7.4

A small white bird with a thin black bill that lives by rivers and catches fish

A small blue-grey bird that lives near water and eats fish

Little Rhody
  • Informal
1 7.0

A common nickname for the small U.S. state Rhode Island

1 6.0

A small group of stars in the northern sky that includes the North Star

Little Englander
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A person who has narrow views about other countries and England's place in the world

A small common North American bat that lives across the continent

little golden zinnia
  • Specialized
1 9.6

A small low plant with short leafy stems and small round yellow orange flowers

A way of acting that uses little effort

A habit of not trying hard and avoiding work

A small sea bird with a short beak that lives in the Arctic

A small animal like a rabbit that lives in rocky mountain areas in North America

A small plant that looks like moss and grows on the ground

A small plant like a tiny fir tree that grows on the forest floor

A very small shiny black insect that lives in groups and often comes into houses for food

A small group of stars in the northern sky east of Orion that contains the bright star Procyon

9.9

A small boy people call in a friendly, playful way

A small fern that grows in shaded tropical forests in the Americas

little head
  • Offensive
9.9

A man's sexual feelings or other emotions that make him act without thinking

Little Joe
  • Slang
9.9

A slang name for the number four in dice games like craps

little pekkie
  • Informal
9.9

A person someone loves and finds cute

Little Office
  • Specialized
9.9

A short set of prayers to the Virgin Mary said by Catholics

How Small

tiny
∞ 1.0
little
∞ 1.0
small
3 1.1
medium
284 1.3
large
10 1.0
huge
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

little positive
littler comparative
littlest superlative

Etymology

Little comes from the old English word lytel, which means 'small'. Because it meant 'small', people use little for size and also as a warm, friendly word when they like someone.