little

Adjective

little (comparative littler or lesser, superlative littlest or least)

1. Small, not large, limited, particularly
   • Not that she cared twopence for the enormous sum, really, now that concord was established! No, her little flutters of honest remorse were constantly disappearing in the immense exultant joy of being alive and of contemplating her idol.1914, Arnold Bennett, The Price of Love, Harper & Brothers, page 418

   Synonyms:

   compact, fun size, fun-sized, ickle, insignificant, lit'l, low, modest, mini, petty

2. Small, limited in size.
   • This is a little table.

   Synonyms:

   compact, fun size, fun-sized, ickle, insignificant, lit'l, low, modest, mini, petty

3. Short, limited in extent.
   • It’s only a little ways now.

   Synonyms:

   compact, fun size, fun-sized, ickle, insignificant, lit'l, low, modest, mini, petty

4. Brief, limited in duration.
   • I always feel better after a little sleep.

   Synonyms:

   compact, fun size, fun-sized, ickle, insignificant, lit'l, low, modest, mini, petty

5. Young, limited in growth.
   • Where's the little boys' room?

   Synonyms:

   compact, fun size, fun-sized, ickle, insignificant, lit'l, low, modest, mini, petty

6. (especially) Younger, regardless of size or height.
   • You may be an Olympic weightlifter but you're still my little sister.

   Synonyms:

   compact, fun size, fun-sized, ickle, insignificant, lit'l, low, modest, mini, petty

7. Undeveloped or underdeveloped, limited in development, particularly (offensive, of a male) in the genitals.
   • "You are a little, little man," she proclaimed, staring obviously below my waist as she pronounced the second "little." It was almost disappointing. I'd heard that one before, but it still left a new scar each time.2017, David Russell, Winston Patrick Mystery 2-Book Bundle, page 70

   Synonyms:

   compact, fun size, fun-sized, ickle, insignificant, lit'l, low, modest, mini, petty

8. Small, limited in number, having few members.
   • That's a mighty little herd you've got there.

   Synonyms:

   compact, fun size, fun-sized, ickle, insignificant, lit'l, low, modest, mini, petty

9. Insignificant, trivial, limited in importance.
   • It’s of little importance.
   • Urania speaks with darken’d brow:
     ⁠‘Thou pratest here where thou art least;
     ⁠This faith has many a purer priest,
     And many an abler voice than thou: […]’1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XXXVII”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 57

   Synonyms:

   compact, fun size, fun-sized, ickle, insignificant, lit'l, low, modest, mini, petty

10. (offensive) Weak, inferior, unimportant, etc., used to belittle a person.
    • Listen up, you little shit.

    Synonyms:

    compact, fun size, fun-sized, ickle, insignificant, lit'l, low, modest, mini, petty

11. (capitalized, often, particularly a country or capital) Denoting a neighborhood whose residents or storekeepers are from that place.
    • If you want to find Little France, take any turning on the north side of Leicester square, and wander in a zigzag fashion Oxford Streetwards. The Little is rather smokier and more squalid than the Great France upon the other side of the Manche.1871 October 18, The One-eyed Philosopher [pseudonym], "Street Corners", in Judy or The London Serio-comic Journal, vol. 9, page 255 http://books.google.com/books?id=_B4oAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA255
    • In the forties, hurdy-gurdy men could still be heard in all those East Coast cities with strong Italian neighbourhoods: New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Boston. A visit to Baltimore’s Little Italy at that time was like a trip to Italy itself.2004, Barry Miles, Zappa: A Biography, edition, published 2005, →ISBN, page 5

    Synonyms:

    compact, fun size, fun-sized, ickle, insignificant, lit'l, low, modest, mini, petty

12. (capitalized, derogatory, often, particularly a country) Used with the name of a place to imply that the inhabitants have an insular attitude and are hostile to those they perceive as foreign.
    • He is the embodiment of Fleet Street bullying, using his newspaper to peddle his Little-England, curtain-twitching Alan Partridgesque view of the world, which manages to combine sanctimonious, pompous moralising and prurient, voyeuristic, judgmental obsession2012, Steve Coogan, Comedian Steve Coogan on Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre

    Synonyms:

    compact, fun size, fun-sized, ickle, insignificant, lit'l, low, modest, mini, petty

13. (derogatory) Mean, selfish, bigoted, etc., limited in spirit.
    • A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.
    • The long-necked geese of the world that are ever hissing dispraise, / Because their natures are little.1855, Alfred Tennyson, “Maud”, in Maud, and Other Poems, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 20

    Synonyms:

    compact, fun size, fun-sized, ickle, insignificant, lit'l, low, modest, mini, petty

14. (capitalized, figuratively, often) Independent, limited in scale, especially contrasted with well-organized and well-capitalized cartels controlling most of an industry, market, etc.
    • Little Science vs Big Science... Little Steel vs Big Steel...

    Synonyms:

    compact, fun size, fun-sized, ickle, insignificant, lit'l, low, modest, mini, petty

Adverb

little (comparative less or lesser, superlative least)

1. Not much.
   • This is a little-known fact: the new model is little faster than the old one.
   • She spoke little and listened less.
2. Not at all.
   • Little did he know that the burglar was creeping upstairs at that very moment.
   • She little knew what awaited her.

Determiner

little (comparative less, superlative least)

1. Not much, only a little: only a small amount (of).
   • There is (very) little water left.
   • We had very little to do.

Pronoun

little

1. Not much; not a large amount.
   • Little is known about his early life.

Noun

little (countable and uncountable, plural littles)

1. (singular, uncountable) A small amount.
   • I hope the little we've done will be useful.
   • Little did he do to make me comfortable.
2. (countable, informal) A child, particularly an infant.
3. (countable, university slang) A newly initiated member of a sorority or fraternity, who is mentored by a big.
   • He was there the night of Cristoph's party. All the littles were assigned to their bigs. Ian and Christoph had rushed the same fraternity. When they became upperclassmen, they both ended up on the board.2018, Kelly Ann Gonzales, Through an Opaque Window
   • She added that the relationship between bigs and littles is "what each pair makes of it," and that a lot of the pairs often get dinner together and become close friends.2019 April 1, Audrey Steinkamp, “Sororities pair new members with "bigs"”, in Yale Daily News, archived from the original on 20 Feb 2026

   Antonyms:

   big

4. (countable) The participant who acts out the younger role.

   Antonyms:

   big

5. (countable, age regression) One who has mentally age regressed to a childlike state.
   • People with [dissociative identity] disorder frequently have a younger personality among their distinctive personalities. However, it’s believed that the "little" may not be a separate personality. Instead, it may be a regressed version of the original personality.2019 August 30, Kimberly Holland, Healthline, archived from the original on 21 Apr 2024

   Antonyms:

   big

Proper noun capitalized: Little

IPA/ˈlɪtəl/

Little (countable and uncountable, plural Littles)

1. A characteristical surname.
2. An unincorporated community in Breathitt County, Kentucky, United States, named after the local Little family.
3. An unincorporated community in Tyler County, West Virginia, United States.