little
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- small, diminutive, miniature, minute, petite, short, tiny, wee
- young, babyish, immature, infant, junior, undeveloped
[adverb]
Synonyms:
- hardly, barely
- rarely, hardly ever, not often, scarcely, seldom
[noun]
Synonyms:
- bit, fragment, hint, particle, speck, spot, touch, trace

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Antonyms: big, great, important, much
Contrasted words: consequential, meaningful, significant, substantial, weighty, basal, basic, essential, foundational, fundamental
Related Words: bigoted, hidebound, illiberal, narrow-minded, provincial, contemptible, niggard, niggardly, self-centered, selfish, fortuitous, incidental, collateral, secondary, subordinate, subsidiary

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English Thesaurus: small, little, low, slight, minor, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

Little, Ralf /rælf/
(1981–) a British actor who is best known for playing the character of Antony Royle in the British television series The Royle Family.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

I. lit‧tle¹ S1 W1 /ˈlɪtl/ adjective
[Language: Old English; Origin: lytel]

1. SIZE [usually before noun] small in size:
a little house
a cake decorated with little flowers
She was cutting the meat up into little bits.
little tiny/tiny little spoken (=extremely small)
a little tiny puppy
little bitty American English spoken (=extremely small)
a little something informal (=a small present, or a small amount of food)
I’d like to buy him a little something to thank him.

2. SOMETHING YOU LIKE OR DISLIKE [only before noun] used between an adjective and a noun to emphasize that you like or dislike something or someone, although they are not important, impressive etc:
It could be a nice little business.
a useful little gadget
It was another of her silly little jokes.
a boring little man
poor little thing (=used to show sympathy)
The poor little thing had hurt its wing.

3. a little bit
a) a small amount of something
a little bit of
With a little bit of luck we should finish by five o'clock.
I’m going to give you a little bit of advice.
Let me tell you a little bit about myself.
b) slightly or to a small degree:
I was a little bit disappointed.

4. TIME/DISTANCE [only before noun] short in time or distance:
You could have a little sleep in the car.
We walked a little way along this path.
He arrived a little while ago.

5. YOUNG little children are young:
We didn’t have toys like this when I was little.
little boy/girl
two little boys playing in the street
sb’s little boy/girl (=someone’s son or daughter who is still a child)
Mum, I’m 17 – I’m not your little girl any longer.
sb’s little brother/sister (=a younger brother or sister who is still a child)
Her little brother and sister were fighting again.

6. SLIGHT [only before noun] done in a way that is not very noticeable:
a little smile
Nicolo gave a little nod of his head.

7. UNIMPORTANT [only before noun]
a) not important:
She gets very angry over little things.
There isn’t time to discuss every little detail.
b) not important – used when you really think that something is important:
There’s just that little matter of the £5,000 you owe me.

8. (just) that little bit better/easier etc better, easier etc by a small amount that will have an important effect:
Working fewer hours will make life just that little bit easier for me.

9. the little woman old-fashioned someone’s wife – often used humorously but now considered offensive by many women
⇒ a little bird told me at bird(4)


GRAMMAR
You can say smaller or smallest, but 'littler' and 'littlest' are not often used:
Her feet are even smaller (NOT littler/more little) than mine.
You can use words like 'quite', 'very', and 'too' in front of small, but do not use them with little:
a very small car (NOT a very little car)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. little² S1 W1 determiner, pronoun

1. only a small amount or hardly any of something:
There’s little doubt in my mind that he’s guilty.
I paid little attention to what the others were saying.
Little is known about the causes of the problem.
Changes in the law have done little to improve the situation.
little of
Little of their wealth now remains.
There’s very little money left.
Many of the students speak little or no English.
He knew little or nothing (=almost nothing) about fixing cars.
My lawyer advised me to say as little as possible.
He did precious little (=very little) to help.
The laboratory tests are of little real value.

2. a little a small amount:
Fortunately I had a little time to spare.
Susan speaks a little French.
A little over half the class can swim.
He walked on a little (=a short distance) and then turned back.
a little more/less
Would you like a little more milk in your coffee?
a little of
The city is regaining a little of its former splendour.

3. as little as £5/3 months/10 feet etc used to emphasize how surprisingly small an amount is:
Prices for his paintings start from as little as £100.
The weather can change completely in as little as half an hour.

4. what little (also the little (that)) used to emphasize how small an amount there is, how small an amount is possible etc:
We did what little we could to help.
I handed over what little money I had left.

5. a little (of something) goes a long way spoken used to say that only a small amount of something is needed or has a great effect:
A little kindness goes a long way.


GRAMMAR
A little and little are used before uncountable nouns.
A little means 'some, but not a lot':
We still have a little time left.
In spoken British English, it is more usual to say a bit of:
I’ve got a bit of money left.
Little on its own (without a) means 'not much'. It emphasizes how small the amount is. It is mainly used in writing or formal speech:
There is now little hope of success.
In conversation or informal writing, it is more usual to say not much:
There was not much milk left.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

III. little³ S1 W1 adverb

1. a little slightly or to a small degree Synonym : a bit:
She trembled a little as she spoke.
He was a little surprised at her request.
a little more/better/further etc
We’ll have to wait a little longer to see what happens.
GRAMMAR
When you use a little with an adjective, it should come before the adjective, not after it:
I was a little worried about her (NOT I was worried a little ...).
► You cannot use a little with an adjective before a noun. Use rather or slightly:
It was a rather strange situation (NOT a little strange situation).

2. not much or only slightly:
The town has changed little over the years.
The situation has improved very little.
little known/understood etc (=not known about by many people)
a little known corner of the world
little more/better etc (than something)
His voice was little more than a whisper.

3. little did somebody know/realize/think etc used to say that someone did not know or think that something would happen or was true:
Little did I know that the course of my life was about to change.

4. little by little gradually:
Little by little he became accepted by the family.

5. more than a little/not a little literary extremely:
Graham was more than a little frightened by what he had seen.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

little
I.
adverb
1.
BAD: It was my first interview and I was nervous a little.
GOOD: It was my first interview and I was a little nervous.

Usage Note:
Put a little in front of the word it modifies (NOT after it): 'I felt a little sad.' 'The news was a little worrying.' Compare: 'The town had changed a little since my last visit.'

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2.
BAD: It was a little difficult question.
GOOD: It was a slightly difficult question.

Usage Note:
slightly + adjective + noun: 'a slightly solemn expression'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

little
II.
adjective
1.
BAD: He works in a little office building in Geneva.
GOOD: He works in a small office building in Geneva.
BAD: His parents died when he was still a little child.
GOOD: His parents died when he was still a small child.

Usage Note:
Little usually expresses an emotional attitude such as affection or dislike: 'We've rented a cosy little cottage in the countryside.' 'You shouldn't let that silly little man upset you.'
When you simply wish to describe the size of someone of something, use small : 'Their daughter is rather small for her age.' 'People are turning to smaller cars because they are cheaper to run.'

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2.
BAD: The police asked for a little description of the car.
GOOD: The police asked for a brief description of the car.
BAD: He told me that I needed a little operation.
GOOD: He told me that I needed a minor operation.

Usage Note:
Choosing the right word: GENERAL WORDS and EXACT WORDS
Some words have a general meaning, e.g. big, beautiful, good, say, make, kill . These words are useful, especially when you begin to learn English, because you can make use of them in a wide range of situations:
A big meal, a big kitchen, a big mistake etc
For each general word, however, there is usually another word or phrase which comes closer to what you want to say, and which may also sound more natural in the context:
A substantial meal, a spacious kitchen, a serious mistake etc
A major step towards fluency in English is getting to know plenty of exact words which can replace the more general words you have learned. Here are some words which can be used instead of the general word kill .
Murder To murder someone is to kill them deliberately and unlawfully: ‘The key witness was murdered before he could testify.’ A person who does this is a murderer .
Massacre Massacre is used when you talk about the deliberate killing of a large number of people, especially people who cannot defend themselves: ‘Whole native populations were massacred when the European settles arrived.’
Slaughter Slaughter is used when you talk about the deliberate killing of a large number of people, especially in a particularly cruel way: ‘Men ran through the village burning houses and slaughtering anyone that got in their way.’
To slaughter an animal is to kill it for its meat, skin etc, or as part of a religious ceremony: ‘The children couldn’t understand why the cattle had to be slaughtered.’
Execute To execute someone (or put someone to death is to kill someone as a punishment, according to the law: ‘King Charles I was executed on 30th January 1639.’
Assassinate To assassinate someone is to deliberately kill a very famous or important person such as a political leader: ‘President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth.’ A person who does this is an assassin .
Commit suicide To commit suicide (or take your own life ) is to deliberately kill yourself: ‘Rather than be taken prisoner, they preferred to commit suicide.’
Destroy To destroy an animal (or have it put down/to sleep ) is to kill in a way that does not cause pain, especially because it is sick or injured: ‘The cat had developed cancer and had to be destroyed.'

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3.
BAD: Today there are too many people for too little jobs.
GOOD: Today there are too many people for too few jobs.

Usage Note:
See note at FEW 1 (few)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

small not large in size, amount, or effect:
a small boat
small businesses
a small amount of money
small changes
little [usually before noun] small – used about objects, places, and living things. Used especially with other adjectives to show how you feel about someone or something:
It’s a very pretty little town.
The poor little dog has hurt its leg.
The cake was decorated with little flowers.
low used about prices, rents, levels, or standards:
People on low incomes are finding it difficult to pay fuel bills.
The crime rate in the area is relatively low.
slight [usually before noun] small and not very important or not very noticeable:
a slight problem
There’s been a slight improvement in his health.
a slight increase in sales
minor small and not important or not serious:
minor injuries
We’ve made some minor changes to the program.
compact small – used about places, buildings etc in which space is used effectively, or about phones, cameras, cars etc which are designed to be much smaller than usual:
The apartments are very compact.
a compact camera
It is a pleasant and compact city.
poky especially British English used about a room, house etc that is too small:
a poky bedroom
a poky flat
cramped used about a space, room, or vehicle that is too small because people do not have enough room to move around:
They all lived together in a cramped apartment.
The car feels cramped with four adults in it.
tiny very small – used about objects, numbers, or amounts:
a tiny island
Dairy foods provide your body with a tiny amount of vitamin D.
teeny informal very small - used for emphasis:
I'll just have a teeny bit of cream.
There's just one teeny little problem.
a teeny little house
minute extremely small and extremely difficult to see or notice:
They found minute traces of poison in his body.
The differences are minute.
minute creatures
miniature a miniature camera, watch, railway etc is made in a very small size. A miniature horse, dog etc is bred to be a very small size:
The spy used a miniature camera.
the fashion for miniature pets
microscopic extremely small and impossible to see without special equipment:
microscopic organisms
microscopic particles of dust
minuscule /ˈmɪnəskjuːl, ˈmɪnɪskjuːl/ extremely small in a surprising way:
She was wearing a minuscule bikini.
The threat from terrorism is minuscule compared to other risks in our lives.
itty-bitty/itsy-bitsy [only before noun] American English informal very small:
An itty-bitty little bug crawled across his forehead.
We stayed at some itty-bitty hotel in a back street.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

some a number of people or things or an amount of something, but not a large number or amount:
There were some children playing in the street.
‘Have we got any biscuits?’ ‘Yes, I’ve just bought some.’
a few a small number of people, things etc. A few is used when there is a smaller number than some:
‘Are there any chocolates left?’ ‘Only a few.’
I’m going out with a few of my friends.
a couple of informal two or a very small number:
Can I ask you a couple of questions?
I’ll just have a couple of drinks.
a little a small amount of something:
I speak a little Spanish.
He just wants a little sugar.
a certain amount of a fairly large amount – use this to talk about people’s feelings, abilities etc:
It’s a job that requires a certain amount of skill.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

little
ˈlɪtl
See: a little , a little knowledge is a dangerous thing , great oaks from little acorns grow , little frog in a big pond , make little of , not a little , quite a little or quite a little bit , think little of , twist around one's little finger

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲