a little

adverb

To a small extent or degree.

“The door was opened a little.”

Similar
a bita little bita tada mitea smidgena smidgeona toucha trifle
Opposite
a lota tadzeronoa lot of
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Meanings

adverba little (not comparable)
  1. not comparableTo a small extent or degree.

    The door was opened a little.

    5 more examples

    Helping not a little was a squad of volunteers.

    How are you feeling? ~ A little better, thanks.

    Orion hit a rabbit once; but though sore wounded it got to the bury, and, struggling in, the arrow caught the side of the hole and was drawn out. Indeed, a nail filed sharp is not of much avail as an arrowhead; you must have it barbed, and that was a little beyond our skill.

    1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter II, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC

    Hi, Amelia! Are you busy? — I’m a little busy.

    2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)

    Scrooge McDuck "A little salty." Zeus "Dip not good enough for you mortal? You offend Olympus!"

    2018, “The Spear of Selene”, in Duck Tales

    Synonyms: a bit, a little bit, a tad · Antonyms: a lot, a tad

  2. not comparableSlightly.

    She's a little strange, but nice enough.

    Synonyms: a bit, a little bit, a mite, a smidgen, a smidgeon, a tad, a touch, a trifle

  3. UKnot comparableVery.

    It's a little big, don't you think?

  4. UKnot comparableA lot.
  5. UKnot comparableA lot of.

    It could do with a little work, that's for sure.

determiner
  1. A small amount of (an uncountable thing).

    A little water has spilled.

    4 more examples

    All we need is a little time and money to carry this idea to fruition.

    All that is left is a little bacon and a few eggs.

    I've been starting to get a little pain in both knees.

    Now let me get through the eating of this dolphin and get some rest and a little sleep.

    1952 September 1, Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, →OCLC, page 79

    Antonyms: zero, no, a lot of, much

pronoun
  1. A small amount of an uncountable thing.

    I’ll have a little of what you order.

    1 more example

    "Would you like some water?" "Just a little, please."

Synonyms & antonyms

adverbTo a small extent or degree.

Similar
a bita little bita tad
Opposite
a lota tad

adverbSlightly.

Similar
a bita little bita mitea smidgena smidgeona tada toucha triflebarelycloselyfaintlyhardlyimperceptiblyjustkindakinda sortakind oflow-keymarginally

determinerA small amount of (an uncountable thing).

Opposite
zeronoa lot ofmuch

More synonyms by meaning

adverbto a small degree; somewhat

Similar
a bita trifle
Also see
a bita little bita mitea tada triflemodestlyslightly

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Ancient Greek ὀλίγον, μικρῷ
  • ὀλίγον (olígon)to a small extent or degree
  • μικρῷ (mikrōî)to a small extent or degree
  • ἦκα (êka)to a small extent or degree
Arabic قَلِيلًا
  • قَلِيلًا (qalīlan)to a small extent or degree
Basque pixka bat
  • pixka bata small amount
Bengali সামান্য
  • সামান্য (śamanno)to a small extent or degree
Bulgarian ма́лко, малко
  • ма́лко (málko)to a small extent or degree
  • малко (malko)a small amount
Catalan una mica, poc
  • una micato a small extent or degree
  • pocto a small extent or degree
Chinese Mandarin 一點兒 /一点儿, 一點 /一点
  • 一點兒 /一点儿 (yīdiǎnr)to a small extent or degree
  • 一點 /一点 (yīdiǎn)to a small extent or degree
  • 有點 /有点 (yǒudiǎn)to a small extent or degree
Czech trochu
  • trochuto a small extent or degree
Danish lidt, en smule (lille)
  • lidtto a small extent or degree
  • en smule (lille)to a small extent or degree
Dutch een beetje, wat
  • een beetjeto a small extent or degree
  • watto a small extent or degree
Esperanto iom, iomete
  • iomto a small extent or degree
  • iometeto a small extent or degree
Estonian veidi, pisut
  • veidito a small extent or degree
  • pisutto a small extent or degree
Finnish hieman, hiukan
  • hiemanto a small extent or degree
  • hiukanto a small extent or degree
  • vähänto a small extent or degree
  • pikkuisento a small extent or degree
  • vähäna small amount
  • hiemana small amount
  • hiukana small amount
  • pikkuisena small amount
French un peu
  • un peuto a small extent or degree
German ein bisschen, ein wenig
  • ein bisschento a small extent or degree
  • ein wenigto a small extent or degree
  • etwasto a small extent or degree
  • ein bisschena small amount
Greek λίγο
  • λίγο (lígo)to a small extent or degree
Hebrew קְצָת
  • קְצָת (k'tsát)to a small extent or degree
Hindi थोड़ी-थोड़ी, थोड़ा सा
  • थोड़ी-थोड़ी (thoṛī-thoṛī)to a small extent or degree
  • थोड़ा सा (thoṛā sā)to a small extent or degree
  • थोड़ा-थोड़ा (thoṛā-thoṛā)to a small extent or degree
  • ज़रा (zarā)to a small extent or degree
  • थोड़ा (thoṛā)to a small extent or degree
  • कम (kam)to a small extent or degree
Hungarian egy kicsit, kicsit
  • egy kicsitto a small extent or degree
  • kicsitto a small extent or degree
  • egy kisa small amount
  • egy kevésa small amount
  • egy kicsia small amount
  • némia small amount
  • egy keveseta small amount
  • egy kicsita small amount
Icelandic smá, svolítið
  • smáto a small extent or degree
  • svolítiðto a small extent or degree
Indonesian sedikit
  • sedikitto a small extent or degree
Irish rud beag
  • rud beagto a small extent or degree
Italian un po', un poco
  • un po'to a small extent or degree
  • un pocoto a small extent or degree
Japanese ちょっと, 少し
  • ちょっと (chotto)to a small extent or degree
  • 少し (sukoshi)to a small extent or degree
Korean 조금, 좀
  • 조금 (jogeum)to a small extent or degree
  • 좀 (jom)to a small extent or degree
  • 약간 (yakgan)to a small extent or degree
Latin paulum
  • paulumto a small extent or degree
Latvian nedaudz
  • nedaudzto a small extent or degree
Lithuanian truputį
  • truputįto a small extent or degree
Malay sedikit
  • sedikitto a small extent or degree
Norwegian Bokmål litt
  • littto a small extent or degree
Persian خرده, کمی
  • خرده (xorde)to a small extent or degree
  • کمی (kami)to a small extent or degree
  • یک کم (yek kam)to a small extent or degree
  • یک کمی (yek kami)to a small extent or degree
  • یه کمی (ye kami)to a small extent or degree
Polish trochę, mało
  • trochęto a small extent or degree
  • małoto a small extent or degree
Portuguese um pouco
  • um poucoto a small extent or degree
Romanian puțin, un pic
  • puținto a small extent or degree
  • un picto a small extent or degree
  • puțina small amount
  • un pic dea small amount
Russian немно́го, чуть-чу́ть
  • немно́го (nemnógo)to a small extent or degree
  • чуть-чу́ть (čutʹ-čútʹ)to a small extent or degree
  • чу́точку (čútočku)to a small extent or degree
  • слегка (slexka)to a small extent or degree
  • немножечко (nemnožečko)to a small extent or degree
  • немножко (nemnožko)to a small extent or degree
Scottish Gaelic caran
  • caranto a small extent or degree
Slovak trochu, trošku
  • trochuto a small extent or degree
  • troškuto a small extent or degree
Spanish un poco, un poquito
  • un pocoto a small extent or degree
  • un poquitoto a small extent or degree
  • pelínto a small extent or degree
  • un poco dedeterminer
  • un pelína small amount
  • un china small amount
Swahili kidogo
  • kidogoto a small extent or degree
Swedish lite, lite grann
  • liteto a small extent or degree
  • lite grannto a small extent or degree
Tagalog kaunti, onti
  • kauntito a small extent or degree
  • ontito a small extent or degree
  • medyoto a small extent or degree
Tamil சற்று, சிறு
  • சற்று (caṟṟu)to a small extent or degree
  • சிறு (ciṟu)to a small extent or degree
  • சிறிய (ciṟiya)to a small extent or degree
  • கொஞ்சம் (koñcam)to a small extent or degree
  • கொஞ்சம் (koñcam)a small amount
Thai หน่อย, นิดหน่อย
  • หน่อย (nɔ̀i)to a small extent or degree
  • นิดหน่อย (nít-nɔ̀i)to a small extent or degree
Turkish biraz, çok az
  • birazto a small extent or degree
  • çok azto a small extent or degree
  • azıcıkto a small extent or degree
  • azto a small extent or degree
Ukrainian тро́хи, трі́шки
  • тро́хи (tróxy)to a small extent or degree
  • трі́шки (tríšky)to a small extent or degree
Urdu ذرا, تھوڑا سا
  • ذرا (zarā)to a small extent or degree
  • تھوڑا سا (thoṛā sā)to a small extent or degree
  • کم (kam)to a small extent or degree
Vietnamese một ít, ít
  • một ítto a small extent or degree
  • ítto a small extent or degree
  • một chútto a small extent or degree
  • hơito a small extent or degree
Welsh ychydig, tipyn
  • ychydigto a small extent or degree
  • tipynto a small extent or degree
Yiddish אַ ביסל
  • אַ ביסל (a bisl)to a small extent or degree
Cite this entry
APA

a little. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20little

MLA

“a little.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20little. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “a little,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20little.

Source: a little on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.