Englishfor English speakers

ADJECTIVE little COMPARATIVE littler SUPERLATIVE littlest

little English

Meaning little meaning

What does little mean?

Definitions in simple English

little Adjective

— If something is little, its size is not big. I just ate a tiny little piece of the cake. — A little while, distance, etc. is not long. Could you just wait a little while more? — A little person or animal is young. Two little boys were fighting on the playground.

little Determinative

— Little money, room, help, etc. is a small amount of it; not much. They understood little or no French. He was busy and had little time for children. Try to spend as little of your money as possible. We saw little of her after the first day. Little is known about the problem. The building was destroyed leaving little more than rock and glass. She's a quiet person with little to say about these things. This has little to do with him and a lot to do with you. We saved what little was left.

little

— adjective (= small) limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent a little dining room a little house a small car a little (or small) group — adjective (= slight) (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 gave it little thought little time is left we still have little money a little hope remained there's slight chance that it will work there's a slight chance it will work — adverb not much he talked little about his family — adjective (= small) (of children and animals) young, immature what a big little boy you are small children — noun a small amount or duration he accepted the little they gave him — adjective (= fiddling, footling, lilliputian, niggling, piffling, petty, picayune) (informal) small and of little importance a fiddling sum of money a footling gesture our worries are lilliputian compared with those of countries that are at war a little (or small) matter a dispute over niggling details limited to petty enterprises piffling efforts giving a police officer a free meal may be against the law, but it seems to be a picayune infraction — adjective (= small) (of a voice) faint a little voice a still small voice — adjective (= minuscule, small) lowercase little a small a e.e.cummings's poetry is written all in minuscule letters — adjective small in a way that arouses feelings (of tenderness or its opposite depending on the context) a nice little job bless your little heart my dear little mother a sweet little deal I'm tired of your petty little schemes filthy little tricks what a nasty little situation — adjective (= short) low in stature; not tall he was short and stocky short in stature a short smokestack a little man

Synonyms little synonyms

What other words have the same or similar meaning as little?

little English » English

small few tiny slight bit slightly some short young diminutive insignificant minute a little not much small quantity somewhat not many trivial scanty petty less wee trifling paltry minor meagre limited light a bit scarce piddling low a little bit unimportant poor petite negligible narrow fine very little scant rare pygmy piffling pieces picayune not large niggling nickel-and-dime minuscule

Topics little topics

What do people use little to talk about?

States Time Aspectual time Age

Young

What words describe a person or animal that is young?

young little small
What words refer to a younger brother or sister?

younger brother younger sister little brother little sister kid brother kid sister

Grammar Semantic constituents related to verbs Epistemic moods

Probably

What words indicate that someone or something will probably not be successful?

little chance little hope little prospect have little chance stand little chance outside chance

Person Life Stage of life

Child

What words describe a child?

young little small underage

States Quantity Plural

Few, little

What words indicate that there is a small amount of something?

a little a bit of a small amount of trace trickle dab an element of a touch of a hint of taste of dearth grain hair inappreciable inconsequential inconsiderable infinitesimal insignificant iota limited minimum minute mite moderate modest modicum ounce particle poor scant scanty scintilla shred slight smidgen some speck spoonful suggestion suspicion tidbit tinge tiny trifle whit
What words indicate that there is a very small amount of something?

not much very little to speak of hardly any scarcely any almost no minimal negligible precious little next to nothing a smattering of a scrap of tiny minute
What words refer to a small amount of food?

a little a drop of pinch dash mouthful in moderation meager

States Big

Small

What words describe something that is small?

small little dainty miniature compact

States Big Long

Short, not tall

What words describe someone who is short?

short not very tall small little petite squat

Grammar Very Degree

To a small degree

What words indicate a small degree?

deficient inappreciably inconsequentially insignificantly lacking lightly limited little low merely moderately negligibly piddling possible puny reasonably relatively slightly somewhat sparingly temperately trivial trivially

Person Body Limb

Finger, toe

What are the names of each finger?

thumb index finger forefinger middle finger ring finger little finger
What are the names of each toe?

big toe first toe middle toe third toe little toe

States Quantity

Enough

What words refer to not having enough?

not enough insufficient too little too few scarce inadequate inadequacy shortage lack of be in short supply be short
What words describe a situation in which someone does not do enough or something does not happens enough?

not...enough too little

States Time Aspectual time Past

Wet

What words describe something that is slightly wet?

moist damp a little wet clammy dewy

Person Healthy Symptom of disease

Pain

What words refer to a mild pain?

discomfort feel uncomfortable mild hurts a little bit itch prickle smart sting stinging tingle tingling stitch twinge dull

Person Healthy Symptom of disease

Dazed, confused

What words are used to express a slight case of these conditions?

slightly disoriented a bit confused a little out of it

Person Life Male, female

Man

What words refer to a young man?

boy lad youth young man schoolboy little shaver

Language and thought Soul, spirit Mental state

Attention

What words refer to not paying attention?

not pay attention daydream be miles away your mind wanders inattentive pay very little attention mind is elsewhere ignore take no notice goes in one ear and out the other

Language and thought Think

Know

What words refer to knowing something slightly?

be aware of be acquainted with know a little know about

Language and thought Think Know

Known, unknown

What words describe something or someone that is not known by many people?

little-known secret secrecy obscure private mystery mysterious

Language and thought Think Know

Secret

What words describe something or someone that is not known by many people?

little-known secret secrecy obscure private mystery mysterious

Language and thought Emotion Feel bad Afraid

Worried

What words refer to being a little worried?

feel a little worried slightly worried a bit anxious not so sure

Language and thought Communication Say Voice

Speak little

What words refer to speaking a little?

speak little taciturn shy man of few words uncommunicative reticent hold your tongue

Social behavior Behavior Do good to Altruistic, selfless

Use a person

What words refer to using a person?

use someone take advantage of exploit take liberties manipulate wrap/twist someone around your little finger

Daily life Food Eat

Manner of eating

What words refer to eating a little?

eat a little nibble snack go on a diet to diet diet (n)

States Quantity All Exact

Approximate

What words indicate an approximate number when the actual number is possibly more?

or so odd or more at least and maybe more barely hardly little more than scarcely

States Time Relative time Right time

Late

What words indicate that something is too late?

too late it's a little late in the day leave it a bit late miss

States Time Aspectual time Future

Soon

What words indicate that an event will happen soon?

soon sooner almost approach close directly imminence imminent impending near presently quickly shortly about to in a little while not long won't be long almost here just around the corner in the near future about to happen any minute (now) in a minute in a moment

Grammar

Very

What words indicate that an attribute is not intense?

not very hardly barely a little fairly

Examples little examples

How do I use little in a sentence?

Simple sentences

You must get up a little earlier.

Add a little milk.

Turn the radio up a little.

I want to sleep a little more.

With a little more care, the driver could have avoided such a tragic accident.

If she had been a little more patient, she could have succeeded.

Please speak a little more slowly.

The little boy is afraid of the dark.

Give me a little money.

A few years ago, our room had little furniture in it.

I have a little money this month.

We need a little sugar.

I want a little money.

Poor is not the one who has too little, but the one who wants too much.

I slept a little during lunch break because I was so tired.

My little brother is watching TV.

I have a cough and a little fever.

Little by little, you will notice improvement in your writings.

In general, little is known about nonlinear second order differential equations.

I brought you a little something.

You have only to give him a little help.

You had better take a little rest.

You have a little fever today, don't you?

You should have come a little earlier.

You should not think little of this result.

The information you gave me is of little use.

It makes little difference to me whether you believe it or not.

Movie subtitles

You little!

In a little while.

Want to be my little brother?

It hurts a little, but it's bearable.

I thought that it would be a little while longer before I could make my move.

Well then, please come with me for a little bit!

Oh, and sorry about interrupting your little get together.

Then will you do this with plain little Euphy?

Thirsting after conquest, commerce, colonisation and conversion, they exported their civilization from their little nook of Western Eurasia to every corner of the globe.

Admiral Zheng He's enormous ships and his emperor's grandiose ambitions had done precious little for China.

How very different it would be for the altogether more modest voyages about to be undertaken by a remarkable man from the tiny little European kingdom of Portugal.

And with every new individual timepiece, a little bit more time ran out for the age of oriental predominance.

This dramatic transition from Confucian equipoise to anarchy had taken little more than a decade.

The least little thing caused the trap to snap shut because there were no external resources to draw on.

Uh, yes. Well then, please come with me for a little bit!

When the poor girl was little, Arabs killed her parents before her eyes.

Then a little bird sees it and swallows it.

When we were little, we said we'd get married.

You know, he seems a little. Quiet?

Okay, so I'm a little out of practice cooking Italian.

You might want to keep it down a little bit, huh?

It's a little overwhelming.

She never will. All right, let's. we're gonna try a little role-play, okay?

Say, a little finger?

Mmm, well, yeah. I mean, she might seem a little mad right now, but, deep down, I know she loves you.

Other stuff is a little trickier.

Maybe you could help me solve a little problem I have.

So, anyway, my cousin's best friend's older brother's girlfriend's sister is gonna be bringing some by this afternoon, and I know it sounds a little stupid, but I'm kind of nervous to pick them up myself.

I had a little talk to her.

Just gonna go take a little dump. I gotta go to the bathroom and go catch up on some reading. I gotta take the Browns to the Superbowl.

Well. he was a little.

They hid like little scaredy-cats.

Little candle-lit vigil?

Kept seeing their little faces.

Now this might be because of the sun and this whole desert, shot at scenario thing but I'm just finding it a little hard to concentrate.

Your presence here is getting a little itchy for us.

I need you to phone my folks, I want you to tell them that I'm fine and everything's OK, that I'm just going to go travelling for a little bit.

I think I'm going to stay out here a little longer.

Mom, three calls on my first day is a little overdoing it. Everything except a pen.

News and current affairs

Of course, such considerations might have little influence on prices.

And many die simply because there are no cures or vaccines, because so little of the world's valuable research talent and limited resources is devoted to addressing the diseases of the poor.

Because the poor have so little money to spend, drug companies, under current arrangements, have little incentive to do research on the diseases that afflict them.

Our intense desire to take all that we can from nature leaves precious little for other forms of life.

There can be little doubt that climate change poses one of the greatest risks to species' viability.

Yet it also noted that the region's biodiversity was under massive threat, with little or no protection.

In Latin America and elsewhere in the developing world, the IMF imposes accounting frameworks that not only make little sense, but result in excessive austerity.

The voter-turnout problem partly reflects frustration about the present state of the EU, and also people's impression that they can exert little influence by voting one way or the other.

After all, it hesitated little a few years ago to put a current member state, Austria, on notice that it was watching out for the welfare of that country's democracy.

The discussions before the crisis illustrated how little had been done to repair economic fundamentals.

And matters are little better on the other side of the Atlantic.

Still, some suggest that because we are not certain about how bad global warming will be, we should do little or nothing.

NEW HAVEN - Few economists predicted the current economic crisis, and there is little agreement among them about its ultimate causes.

While the legislation does too little to address America's problem of chronic and rising budget deficits, the damage that it inflicts on the economy in the short term is likely to be limited.

The 2008 planting seasons came and went with much too little additional help for impoverished small farmers.

This narrative - the standard Keynesian line, modified for a debt crisis - is the one to which most government officials, central bankers, and Wall Street economists have subscribed, and needs little elaboration.

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