little 1 of 3

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as in diminutive
of a size that is less than average the petting zoo has a little horse in addition to all of the goats and sheep

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

little

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adverb

little

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word little distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of little are diminutive, miniature, minute, small, and tiny. While all these words mean "noticeably below average in size," little is more absolute in implication often carrying the idea of petiteness, pettiness, insignificance, or immaturity.

your pathetic little smile

When is diminutive a more appropriate choice than little?

Although the words diminutive and little have much in common, diminutive implies abnormal smallness.

diminutive bonsai plants

In what contexts can miniature take the place of little?

The synonyms miniature and little are sometimes interchangeable, but miniature applies to an exactly proportioned reproduction on a very small scale.

a dollhouse with miniature furnishings

When would minute be a good substitute for little?

The words minute and little can be used in similar contexts, but minute implies extreme smallness.

a minute amount of caffeine in the soda

How are the words small and little related?

Both small and little are often interchangeable, but small applies more to relative size determined by capacity, value, number.

a relatively small backyard

How do tiny and minute relate to one another, in the sense of little?

Tiny is an informal equivalent to minute.

tiny cracks formed in the painting

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of little
Adjective
This is incredibly damaging to career prospects and, given how little knowledge exists in mainstream medical and occupational health circles, can feel confusing and frightening for those who don’t know where to turn for advice. Nancy Doyle, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025 The real Reubens, who died of cancer at 70 in 2023, bore little resemblance to either of these caricatures. Judy Berman, Time, 30 May 2025
Adverb
Stocks were little changed, while bitcoin sustained a near all-time-high price above $111,000. Rob Wile, NBC news, 22 May 2025 After that, things actually changed very little on set. Michael Schneider, Variety, 21 May 2025
Noun
Yet many of these interventions do little to preserve vitality or prevent the cascade of disability that often follows acute illness. Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025 Both surround themselves with loyalist underlings who do little to challenge their decisions. Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for little
Recent Examples of Synonyms for little
Adjective
  • But in the end, like so often before, their effort fell just short.
    Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025
  • Each of them plays like a standalone vignette that could make a short film, and as with a short film program made up of multiple stories, some are stronger than others.
    Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 28 May 2025
Adjective
  • Yes, Georgia and Paul split this season as the blowback from the trial — and Paul's support of Proposition 38, disastrous for small businesses — imperiled his mayoral career.
    Randall Colburn, EW.com, 7 June 2025
  • Farmers watered their crops less, and saw smaller harvests as a result.
    Annika Merrilees, Sacbee.com, 7 June 2025
Adjective
  • For decades, international philanthropy has framed Africa through a narrow lens: a continent in need, a landscape of poverty, disaster and helplessness.
    Victoria Philips, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
  • Beach replenishment also is planned, but the narrow right-of-way through San Clemente includes no room for a second set of tracks.
    Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 June 2025
Adjective
  • Peyton Manning Doesn't Hold Back About Aaron Rodgers Amid Steelers Rumors During an appearance on 93.7 The Fan, Marino revealed some brief thoughts on Rodgers and the Steelers.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
  • The private residence was used for a brief exterior shot only in the movie.
    Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2025
Adjective
  • Their double act had begun at secondary school, in North London, where Mulcahy protected the diminutive Duffy from bullies.
    Sarah Beckwith, New Yorker, 26 May 2025
  • With that hardware, the diminutive DGX Spark will produce 1,000 trillion operations per second (TOPS) when working on AI tasks, vastly outperforming consumer AI PCs' 40-50 TOPS.
    Brian Westover, PC Magazine, 24 May 2025
Adverb
  • The Hot 100 always includes a wide swath of ubiquitous hits — but rarely have so many of those hits endured at once.
    Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 28 May 2025
  • Intentionality Opportunistic growth is rarely sustainable.
    Ayo Adepoju, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
Noun
  • From its cute-fake soundstage-town setting to the authoritative yet chummy voice-over narration (courtesy of Nick Offerman), The Life of Chuck works doggedly to give you the warm fuzzies—and a little bit of that fuzz goes a long way.
    Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 6 June 2025
  • Not only is sitting on the potty all by yourself a little bit scary, but nobody likes putting play to a stop to use the potty, either.
    Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 6 June 2025
Adjective
  • But would you rather be blasted by tiny pieces — which really hurts — or beheaded or stabbed in the heart by a large shard with tape dangling off of it?
    Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 28 May 2025
  • The former Dixon comptroller embezzled nearly $54 million from the tiny town to fund a lavish lifestyle.
    Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Little.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/little. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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