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little

little

1.0
Small in size or amount, often used to show care
  • adjective
  • /ˈlɪtəl/
translation icon : 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
594 1.2

Small in amount or degree

is the adjective more tied to physical size and affection
miniature
vslittle
101 3.6

Very small in size compared with the usual type

is less comparative and can describe general smallness or affection
teeny
vslittle
  • Informal
78 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
58 8.1

Very small, like a baby mouse

is the common word used more broadly and sometimes warmly
minuscule
vslittle
37 4.4

Very small in size or amount

is the common word used more casually and sometimes affectionately
itty
vslittle
  • Informal
29 8.1

Very small in size

is the regular adjective used more broadly and less childishly
wee
vslittle
  • UK
26 7.5

Very small in size or amount

is the neutral common adjective sometimes used with warmth
precious little
vslittle
  • Informal
26 4.5

Only a very small amount remains

is the word for modest size or amount sometimes warmly
itty-bitty
vslittle
  • Informal
23 5.4

Very small and hard to notice

is the normal adjective without forced playfulness or childlike tone
diminutive
vslittle
20 6.8

Very small in size

is the ordinary adjective used in general contexts and for affection
bitsy
vslittle
  • Informal
17 6.3

Very small in a way that seems cute

is the ordinary adjective that can be neutral or affectionate
weeny
vslittle
  • Informal
11 6.9

Very small in size

is the standard descriptor used more neutrally and broadly
smallish
vslittle
10 2.0

A little smaller than usual

is the direct word for smallness and can be more affectionate
weensy
vslittle
  • Informal
8 8.6

Very small and often cute, like a tiny kitten

is the regular adjective without strong childlike playfulness
teeny-weeny
vslittle
  • Informal
8 6.3

A very small thing that is much smaller than usual

is the everyday adjective used without the childish exaggeration
teensy-weensy
vslittle
  • Informal
7 7.7

Very small and hard to see

is more neutral and can carry mild affection instead
itsy-bitsy
vslittle
  • Informal
6 2.1

Very small and often looking cute

is the neutral form used more naturally in everyday speech
miniscule
vslittle
  • US
1 4.3

Very small and easy to miss

is the preferred spelling and is used in neutral or affectionate contexts
lil
vslittle
  • Slang
9.8

An informal word that shows something is small

is the standard form used more neutrally and sometimes affectionately
leetle
vslittle
  • Informal
9.5

Small in size or amount used in a friendly playful way

is the normal spelling used in neutral or affectionate contexts
diddy
vslittle
  • Baby Talk
7.9

Very small and cute

is used more generally for smallness without extra cuteness
bittie
vslittle
  • Informal
9.9

Very small in size or amount

is the standard adjective often used with mild affection
lilliputian
vslittle
9.9

Very small or unimportant

is a common everyday adjective used more simply and warmly
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
petit
vslittle
7.1

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

is the general everyday adjective used across most contexts and speech

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

63 1.3

In any way, even the smallest amount

little by little
  • Informal
34 2.3

Gradually in small amounts over time

precious little
  • Informal
26 4.5

Only a very small amount remains

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

To make someone do what you want by charming them

quite a little
  • Informal
3 6.6

A fairly large amount of something

little old me
  • Informal
2 9.3

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

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

a little bird
  • Informal
1 8.5

Someone told the speaker something without saying who

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

Almost no chance of being wrong

1 9.9

A phrase to tell someone they do not believe enough

8.1

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

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

A small, disappointing thing that does not help enough

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

Small regular efforts lead to big results over time

7.4

Helps in a small, quiet, personal way

To make decisions using feelings instead of careful thought

Compounds

1.0

A small amount of something

1.0

A young girl who is not yet a teenager

269 1.0

A brother who is younger than you

142 1.0

A sister who is younger than you

75 5.9

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

little lady
  • Informal
61 4.4

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

59 2.8

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

little man
  • Informal
39 6.5

A person who feels small and powerless against those in power

37 6.4

A feeling of not trusting people or plans much

34 7.3

Few people know about it

little angel
  • Baby Talk
28 2.7

A child who behaves well and is much loved

little old lady
  • Informal
24 4.2

An older woman who seems gentle and harmless

13 1.0

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

9 2.9

A small human hand that often belongs to a child

7 8.2

A small green creature said to come from another planet

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

little head
  • Offensive
5 9.9

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

A person or thing that makes a task easier

5 4.8

A small theater where students or community groups perform new plays

4 1.0

Smallest toe at the outer edge of the human foot

3 7.7

An informal name for a bathroom for men or boys

3 2.2

The short pointer on a clock that shows the hour

little old man
  • Informal
3 2.1

An old small man who many people like

3 8.9

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

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

2 2.3

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

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

little terror
  • Informal
1 7.2

A child who behaves badly and causes a lot of trouble

1 8.0

Very little help when you try to do something

little emperor
  • Offensive
1 8.5

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

1 3.0

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

1 9.7

A boy who is too polite and too neatly dressed

1 8.2

A small child who makes trouble in a playful way

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

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

little green man
  • Literature
1 9.6

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

1 5.1

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

little moppet
  • Baby Talk
1 8.4

A small, cute child often a baby or toddler

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

1 7.2

A slow time someone takes on purpose that annoys other people

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

Chicken Little
  • Literature
8.1

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

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

8.4

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

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

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

A small common North American bat that lives across the continent

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

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

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

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

9.9

A small boy people call in a friendly, playful way

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

8.6

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

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

7.4

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

little Eichmann
  • Offensive
9.9

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

Little Englander
  • Offensive
9.9

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

little golden zinnia
  • Specialized
9.6

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

Little Joe
  • Slang
9.9

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

little owie
  • Baby Talk
7.5

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

little pekkie
  • Informal
9.9

A person someone loves and finds cute

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

Little Office
  • Specialized
9.9

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

little potato
  • Specialized
9.8

A plant disease that makes potatoes small and misshapen

A small gift given to show thanks or care

A river in eastern Illinois that flows southeast towards the Wabash River

little yus
  • Specialized
9.9

A letter used in old Slavic writing to show a vowel pronounced through the nose

How Small

tiny
1.0
little
1.0
small
2 1.1
medium
162 1.3
large
2 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.