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