little
gb/lˈɪtəl/ us/lˈɪtəl/
A1
English
~ 1100
Senses
0 senses
adjective
A1
property
1
small in size or amount
Not big; small in size or amount.
Usage pattern:
a little [noun]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'little' with 'few'. Use 'little' with uncountable nouns and 'few' with countable nouns.
Synonyms
small (Most common direct synonym; interchangeable in many contexts, but 'little' can sound more affectionate.)
Antonyms
big (Direct opposite in terms of size.)
Collocations
little boy
|little house
|little time
|little money
|little dog
Themes
daily life
|descriptions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The little cat curled up on the sofa.
- They live in a little apartment near the park.
- I have very little time to finish this project.
- She poured a little milk into the cup.
- We stayed in a little village by the sea.
Learner examples
- This is a little bag.
- He has a little dog.
- We need a little water.
- I see a little bird.
- She has a little car.
adjective
A1
property
2
young in age
Young; not grown up.
Usage pattern:
little [person/animal]
Synonyms
young (More neutral and formal; 'little' often conveys affection.)
Antonyms
grown-up (Refers to someone fully matured or adult.)
Collocations
little girl
|little boy
|little brother
|little sister
Themes
family
|descriptions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- My little sister just started school.
- When he was little, he loved dinosaurs.
- They adopted a little puppy from the shelter.
- I have two little cousins.
- She told the story to the little children.
Learner examples
- I have a little brother.
- The little baby is sleeping.
- She plays with her little dog.
- He helps his little sister.
- The little boy is happy.
adverb
A2
property
3
to a small extent or degree
Only a small amount or not much.
Usage pattern:
[verb] a little
Synonyms
slightly ('Slightly' is more formal and less emotional.)
Antonyms
greatly (Indicates a large extent or degree.)
Collocations
sleep a little
|wait a little
|try a little
Themes
daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I'm feeling a little tired today.
- Could you speak a little louder?
- She smiled a little when she heard the news.
- Let's wait a little before deciding.
- He moved a little closer to the fire.
Learner examples
- I am a little hungry.
- She walks a little every day.
- He is a little sad today.
- Please wait a little for me.
- Turn the TV down a little.
adjective
B1
quantity
4
almost no amount of something
Almost no amount of something.
Usage pattern:
little [uncountable noun]
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse 'a little' (some) with 'little' (almost none). The meaning changes significantly with 'a'.
Synonyms
scarce ('Scarce' is more formal and less common in everyday speech.)
Antonyms
plenty of (Indicates more than enough of something.)
Collocations
little hope
|little chance
|little time
Themes
daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- There is little hope of success now.
- He showed little interest in the topic.
- We have little time left before the train leaves.
- Little progress was made during the meeting.
- The team had little energy after the long match.
Learner examples
- I have little money today.
- There is little water in the glass.
- He has little interest in sports.
- We have little time for lunch.
- She has little milk in her cup.
Grammar
Dictionary form
little
IPA
GB/lˈɪtəl/
US/lˈɪtəl/
Syllables & stress
little (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (little)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: little
- Comparative: littler
- Superlative: littlest
Word family
Expressions
a little bit
1/ə lˈɪtəl bˈɪt/
fixed phrase
a small amount of something
A small amount or degree of something.
Examples
- Could you give me a little bit of sugar?
- I'm feeling a little bit tired after the long walk.
every little helps
1/ˈɛvɹi lˈɪtəl hˈɛlps/
idiom
any small help is useful
Even a small help or amount can be useful.
Examples
- You don’t have to donate much—every little helps.
- We saved coins all year; every little helps.
make little of something
1/mˈeɪk lˈɪtəl əv sˈʌmθɪŋ/
idiom
treat as unimportant
To say or act like something is not important.
Examples
- He made little of the risks involved.
- They made little of her achievements.
quite a little
1/kwˈaɪt ə lˈɪtəl/
fixed phrase
a surprisingly large amount of something small in nature
A lot, even though it sounds small.
Examples
- They spent quite a little time discussing it.
- She has quite a little experience in this field.