Meanings
alternative li'l' · alternative lil · alternative misspelling lil'
- pronunciation spellingPronunciation spelling of little.
Jesse called her his li'l cutie pie. Because she was happy to be so cute and her daddy's little girl,
2006, Cris Burks, Neecey's lullaby1 more example
" Go s'eepy, baby; don' you be 'Paid; mammy ain' gwine let nuffin' hu't you, even ef pappy don' wan' look at huh li'l face. Bye, bye, go s'eepy, mammy's li'l gal."
1898, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Folks from Dixie, page 118 - Generic intensifier.
This li'l puppy is adorable!
Origin
Contracted from little, especially as pronounced with flapping, when the /t/ is barely audible.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
li'l. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/li'l
“li'l.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/li'l. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “li'l,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/li'l.
Source: li'l on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.