a little

adjective

small in size; not big; not large; tiny: a little desk in the corner of the room.

short in duration; not extensive; short; brief: a little while.

small in number: a little group of scientists.

small in amount or degree; not much: little hope.

of a certain amount; appreciable (usually preceded by a ): We're having a little difficulty.

being such on a small scale: little farmers.

younger or youngest: He's my little brother.

not strong, forceful, or loud; weak: a little voice.

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.

adverb

14.

not at all (used before a verb): He little knows what awaits him.

15.

in only a small amount or degree; not much; slightly: a little-known work of art; little better than a previous effort.

16.

seldom; rarely; infrequently: We see each other very little.

00:10

A little is always a great word to know.

So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:

a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.

a fool or simpleton; ninny.

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noun

17.

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.

18.

a short distance: It's down the road a little.

19.

a short time: Stay here for a little.

Idioms

20.

in little, on a small scale; in miniature: a replica in little of Independence Hall.

21.

little by little, by small degrees; gradually: The water level rose little by little.

22.

make little of,

belittle: to make little of one's troubles.

to understand or interpret only slightly: Scholars made little of the newly discovered text.

23.

not a little, to a great extent; very much; considerably: It tired me not a little to stand for three hours.

24.

think little of, to treat casually; regard as trivial: They think little of driving 50 miles to see a movie.

Origin:
before 900; Middle English, Old English lȳtel (lȳt few, small + -el diminutive suffix), cognate with Dutch luttel, Old High German luzzil, Old Norse lītill

Related forms

lit·tlish

[lit-l-ish, lit-lish] , adjective

lit·tle·ness, noun

Synonyms
1–4. tiny, teeny, wee. Little, diminutive, minute, small refer to that which is not large or significant. Little (the opposite of big ) is very general, covering size, extent, number, quantity, amount, duration, or degree: a little boy; a little time. Small (the opposite of large and of great ) can many times be used interchangeably with little but is especially applied to what is limited or below the average in size: small oranges. Diminutive denotes (usually physical) size that is much less than the average or ordinary; it may suggest delicacy: the baby's diminutive fingers; diminutive in size but autocratic in manner. Minute suggests that which is so tiny it is difficult to discern, or that which implies attentiveness to the smallest details: a minute quantity; a minute exam.

Link To a little

Collins

World English Dictionary

little (ˈlɪt^əl)

—*determiner*
1.	(often preceded by a)
	a. a small quantity, extent, or duration of: the little hope there is left; very little milk
	b. (as pronoun): save a little for me
2.	not much: little damage was done
3.	make little of See make of
4.	not a little
	a. very
	b. a lot
5.	quite a little a considerable amount
6.	think little of to have a low opinion of

—*adj*
7.	of small or less than average size
8.	young: a little boy; our little ones
9.	endearingly familiar; dear: my husband's little ways
10.	contemptible, mean, or disagreeable: your filthy little mind
11.	(of a region or district) resembling another country or town in miniature: little Venice
12.	little game a person's secret intention or business: so that's his little game!
13.	no little considerable

—*adv*
14.	(usually preceded by a) in a small amount; to a small extent or degree; not a lot: to laugh a little
15.	(used preceding a verb) not at all, or hardly: he little realized his fate
16.	not much or often: we go there very little now
17.	little by little by small degrees

[Old English lӯtel; related to lӯr few, Old High German luzzil]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

little

O.E. lytel (related to lyt "little, few," from P.Gmc. *luti), from W.Gmc. *lutila- (cf. Du. luttel, O.H.G. luzzil, Ger. lützel, Goth. leitils), from PIE *leud- "small." "Often synonymous with small, but capable of emotional implications which small is not" [OED]. Phrase the little woman "wife" attested

from 1795. Little people "the faeries" is from 1726; as "children," it is attested from 1752; as "ordinary people" it is attested from 1827. Little Neck clams (1884) are so called for Little Neck, Long Island, a "neck" of land on the island's North Shore. Little by little is from late 15c. (litylle be litille).

American Heritage

Idioms & Phrases

a little

A small amount, as in Will you have some more meat? Yes, just a little. [Early 1400s]
Somewhat or rather, slightly, as in I am a little annoyed with Harry. [Late 1300s] For a synonym, see a bit.

Matching Quote

"When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour."

-unknown author

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Idioms & Phrases

a bit