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 little little /ˈlɪtəl/

adjective

  1. () Limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent  ( little , small )
    limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
     A little dining room
    a little dining room
     A little house
    a little house
     A small car
    a small car
     A little (or small) group
    a little (or small) group
  2. () (quantifier used with mass nouns) small in quantity or degree; not much or almost none or (with 'a') at least some  ( slight , little )
    (quantifier used with mass nouns) small in quantity or degree; not much or almost none or (with 'a') at least some
     Little rain fell in May
    little rain fell in May
     Gave it little thought
    gave it little thought
     Little time is left
    little time is left
     We still have little money
    we still have little money
     A little hope remained
    a little hope remained
     There's slight chance that it will work
    there's slight chance that it will work
     There's a slight chance it will work
    there's a slight chance it will work
  3. () (of children and animals) young, immature  ( small , little )
    (of children and animals) young, immature
     What a big little boy you are
    what a big little boy you are
     Small children
    small children
  4. () [Informal] Small and of little importance  ( fiddling [Informal] , footling [Informal] , lilliputian , niggling [Informal] , petty [Informal] , picayune [Informal, N. American] , piddling [Informal] , piffling [Informal] , niggly [Informal] , little [Informal] , trivial [Informal] , piddly [Informal] )
    small and of little importance
     A fiddling sum of money
    a fiddling sum of money
     A footling gesture
    a footling gesture
     Our worries are lilliputian compared with those of countries that are at war
    our worries are lilliputian compared with those of countries that are at war
     A little (or small) matter
    a little (or small) matter
     A dispute over niggling details
    a dispute over niggling details
     Limited to petty enterprises
    limited to petty enterprises
     Piffling efforts
    piffling efforts
     Giving a police officer a free meal may be against the law, but it seems to be a picayune infraction
    giving a police officer a free meal may be against the law, but it seems to be a picayune infraction
  5. () (of a voice) faint  ( small , little )
    (of a voice) faint
     A little voice
    a little voice
     A still small voice
    a still small voice
  6. Small in a way that arouses feelings (of tenderness or its opposite depending on the context)  ( little )
    small in a way that arouses feelings (of tenderness or its opposite depending on the context)
     A nice little job
    a nice little job
     Bless your little heart
    bless your little heart
     My dear little mother
    my dear little mother
     A sweet little deal
    a sweet little deal
     I'm tired of your petty little schemes
    I'm tired of your petty little schemes
     Filthy little tricks
    filthy little tricks
     What a nasty little situation
    what a nasty little situation
  7. Lowercase  ( little , minuscule , small )
    lowercase
     Little a
    little a
     Small a
    small a
     E.e.cummings's poetry is written all in minuscule letters
    e.e.cummings's poetry is written all in minuscule letters
  8. Low in stature; not tall  ( little , short )
    low in stature; not tall
     He was short and stocky
    he was short and stocky
     Short in stature
    short in stature
     A short smokestack
    a short smokestack
     A little man
    a little man

adverb

  1. () Not much  ( little )
    not much
     He talked little about his family
    he talked little about his family

noun

  1. () A small amount or duration  ( little )
    a small amount or duration
     He accepted the little they gave him
    he accepted the little they gave him