little
- adjective
- /ˈlɪtəl/
- I think that I deserve a little Christmas treat.
- very little
- a little bit
- too little
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Watch on YouTubeThis guy, just a little bit of art fear.
- This guy, just a little bit of art fear.
- I want to expand a little bit in many ways.
- There was a little shelter, little water and little food.
- And then just a little dressing on the side.
- So let me read a little bit to you here.
Examples
-
Some of these steps involve little or no cost but have received little or no attention.
Academic text (2015) -
Time is a little difficult to find these days.
-
So let me say a little bit about why.
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And if you could add a little note to each one.
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Actually, you do seem a little bit out of it...
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In addition, the song's bridge suggests how little has changed over three hundred years.
Academic text (2013) -
Nuclear energy currently produces a little more than 20 percent of the nation's electricity.
Academic text (2011) -
Minnie, what I usually find is that a little bit of practice really helps.
Academic text (2012) -
The results showed that Canadians knew very little about the work the church does to help others.
Academic text (2015) -
He only had a little time to finish his homework before dinner.
Synonyms
To a small degree or amount
A little, not very much
To a small degree
Almost not at all or only just
Only a very small amount remains
A very small amount that is almost not noticeable
Antonyms
Idioms
- Informal
A modest, joking way to talk about yourself when you get praise or attention
- Informal
You say this when you hear something but do not say who told you
- Informal
A playful phrase that says another person or pet is welcome too
A peaceful small-town feeling with friendly neighbors like in old TV shows
- Informal
A small, disappointing thing that does not help enough
- Informal
To make decisions using feelings instead of careful thought
Compounds
An organized baseball and softball league for children with teams, games, and coaching
- Literature
A girl in a famous fairy tale who meets a wolf while visiting her grandmother
- Literature
A person who panics about small problems and warns others without reason
- Baby Talk
A traditional English children's rhyme that counts toes while a parent wiggles them
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
A small thing that helps a parent get through the day, like a drink, medicine, or tool
A 1876 battle in Montana where United States soldiers led by Custer lose to Sioux and Cheyenne warriors
- Literature
A soldier in green with no badge sent so a country can deny sending them
- Offensive
A child who is spoiled because parents give them everything they want
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
- Offensive
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
A small brown flying animal common in North America that sleeps in houses and forests
- UK
A small white bird with a thin black bill that lives by rivers and catches fish
- Offensive
A person who has narrow views about other countries and England's place in the world
- Specialized
A small low plant with short leafy stems and small round yellow orange flowers
A small animal like a rabbit that lives in rocky mountain areas in North America
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
- Offensive
A man's sexual feelings or other emotions that make him act without thinking
How Much
Surface Forms
Etymology
Little comes from the old English word lytel, which means 'small'. As an adverb it keeps that meaning: it describes something done 'to a small degree' or 'almost none'.