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little

little

3 1.0
People call young children that in a caring way
  • noun
  • /ˈlɪtəl/
  • Informal
: peque
  • Could you please watch little Sally for a couple of hours?

Examples

  • Kate Wicker is a wife, mom of four littles, speaker, and the author of Weightless: Making Peace with Your Body.

    Blog text (14)
  • I love that I have this little Clarins blush.

  • Could you please watch little Sally for a couple hours?

  • So I'm with this little guy in his cool hat.

  • And then over here we have this little banquet.

  • I mean, she's a really cute little sweet looking thing.

  • While we usually eagerly put our littles to bed early, he's still up tonight.

    Blog text (24)
  • I thought all three of the littles were asleep when I heard Eliza perk up and say ...

    Blog text (17)
  • I do want to spend time playing with the littles too.

  • While we usually eagerly put our littles to bed early, he's still up tonight.

Synonyms

shorty
vslittle
  • Slang
62 9.0

An affectionate slang word often used for a girlfriend or close friend

is less slangy and applies also to small things and neutral contexts
Lilliputian
vslittle
  • Literature
2 9.9

A very small person or creature like one in a story

is informal and affectionate rather than literary or formal
kidlet
vslittle
  • Informal
1 8.2

A small child or young goat that people talk about in a loving, informal way

is used mainly for human children and small objects rather than animals
titch
vslittle
  • UK
1 9.9

A very small person, often a child

describes smallness in a general affectionate way rather than extreme tininess
littlun
vslittle
  • UK
1 9.3

A small child, said in a friendly way

is broader, applying also to small things and objects not only children
leetle
vslittle
  • Informal
1 9.9

A small child or person treated with love and care

is used for small things as well as people rather than people only
little moppet
vslittle
  • Baby Talk
1 8.4

A small, cute child often a baby or toddler

is used for small children or things more generally, not only cute ones
small fry
vslittle
  • Informal
1 7.4

Young children who are not yet adults

is more affectionate and can mean both small people and small things

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

A person who is fully grown and no longer a child

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 Young

baby
∞ 1.0
toddler
171 1.0
little
  • Informal
3 1.0
kid
  • Informal
∞ 1.0
child
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

little singular
littles plural

Etymology

Little comes from the old English word lytel, which means 'small'. Calling children 'the littles' uses the old meaning 'small' in a friendly, informal way to mean young or small people.