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

Examples 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
The summer of 2020 did little to allay those fears: Inexperienced intelligence officers from the agency were deployed to Portland, Ore., to compile dossiers on people protesting against police violence. Eileen Sullivan, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025 The ensuing reply-all showed little sympathy for the ninety-five-year-old school and its community. Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 18 Jan. 2025
Adverb
Tagovailoa did very little during the open media portion of practice and the team is preparing for Tyler Huntley to start at quarterback Sunday unless Tagovailoa’s hip improves significantly and quickly. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 1 Jan. 2025 From Cape Town, the viewing is little better because the austral summer means that the sun rises earlier, at 5:36 a.m., so the conjunction happens after sunrise. Jesse Emspak, Space.com, 27 Dec. 2024
Noun
But what if your littles have five years between them, like ours—or if your family included an even broader age range? Tanveer Badal, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Dec. 2024 Some sea creatures manifest that may frighten the littles. Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 26 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for little 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for little
Adjective
  • Greenland is strategically important for the U.S. military and its ballistic missile early-warning system as the island is on the shortest route from Europe to North America.
    Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025
  • Nintendo has finally revealed its new console, debuting the Switch 2 with a short video that went heavy on visuals but light on information.
    Ash Parrish, The Verge, 16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Trump's victory was in fact much smaller than his supporters have mythologized, and some of his promises — like that to pardon the people imprisoned on charges related to the events of Jan. 6, 2021 — are still very unpopular.
    G. Elliott Morris, ABC News, 13 Jan. 2025
  • Does this mean that community and small banks will struggle?
    Michael Abbott, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Republicans are weighing their big ambitions, limited time and narrow House and Senate majorities.
    Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 13 Jan. 2025
  • But there are big stumbling blocks, including the narrow window to reach a deal and the widely varied value of the app.
    Auzinea Bacon, CNN, 13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Cameras caught Trump and Pence shake hands and exchange brief words before the start of the service at the Washington National Cathedral.
    Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2025
  • But while the country is entering a brief period of limbo, one thing is all but certain.
    David Moscrop, TIME, 12 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The diminutive 21-year-old is slick and smooth with the puck and a smart, talented playmaker below the dots.
    Scott Wheeler, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
  • The diminutive legume enjoys ancient roots, and for good reason—lentils are a source of protein, potassium, folate, and more.
    Alessandra Signorelli, Vogue, 30 Dec. 2024
Adverb
  • The problem is that overachievers are rarely the ones who push back.
    Benjamin Laker, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
  • And because so much of Longboat Key is residential, the beaches here rarely feel crowded.
    Terry Ward, Travel + Leisure, 15 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • This is a little bit different from the ECC on DDR4, which was an extra module present on chips intended for server or commercial use.
    Brad Bourque, WIRED, 13 Jan. 2025
  • There’s a even bit of Austin Burke’s salesmanship character in Sager, who has plugged the store on The Happy Customer Channel on YouTube or on frequent radio commercials and as a guest on Big 105.9.
    Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Those in-the-moment progressions can feel tiny and barely perceptible from one session to the next.
    Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 16 Jan. 2025
  • For what’s known as PM2.5 pollution, or tiny inhalable particles of smoke and dust, a PurpleAir sensor located south of Los Angeles International Airport simultaneously returned on Monday an air quality index of 28 on AirNow’s website, 20 on WatchDuty, and 5 on PurpleAir’s official page.
    Paresh Dave, WIRED, 16 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near little

Cite this Entry

“Little.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/little. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on little

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