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Dictionary


lit•tle



Pronunciation: (lit'l), [key]
—adj., lit•tler or less or less•er, lit•tlest or least,
—adv., less, least,
—n.

—adj.
1. small in size; not big; not large; tiny: a little desk in the corner of the room.
2. short in duration; not extensive; short; brief: a little while.
3. small in number: a little group of scientists.
4. small in amount or degree; not much: little hope.
5. of a certain amount; appreciable (usually prec. by a): We're having a little difficulty.
6. being such on a small scale: little farmers.
7. younger or youngest: He's my little brother.
8. not strong, forceful, or loud; weak: a little voice.
9. small in consideration, importance, position, affluence, etc.: little discomforts; tax reductions to help the little fellow.
10. mean, narrow, or illiberal: a little mind.
11. endearingly small or considered as such: Bless your little heart!
12. amusingly small or so considered: a funny little way of laughing.
13. contemptibly small, petty, mean, etc., or so considered: filthy little political tricks.

—adv.
1. not at all (used before a verb): He little knows what awaits him.
2. in only a small amount or degree; not much; slightly: a little known work of art; little better than a previous effort.
3. seldom; rarely; infrequently: We see each other very little.

—n.
1. a small amount, quantity, or degree: They did little to make him comfortable. If you want some ice cream, there's a little in the refrigerator.
2. a short distance: It's down the road a little.
3. a short time: Stay here for a little.
4. in little, on a small scale; in miniature: a replica in little of Independence Hall.
5. little by little, by small degrees; gradually: The water level rose little by little.
6. make little of,
a. belittle: to make little of one's troubles.
b. to understand or interpret only slightly: Scholars made little of the newly discovered text.
7. not a little, to a great extent; very much; considerably: It tired me not a little to stand for three hours.
8. think little of, to treat casually; regard as trivial: They think little of driving 50 miles to see a movie.

Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.

litteryLittle Alliance
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