little
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++ldoce_730_zlit·tle1 /ˈlɪtl/ ●●● S1 W1 adjective 1 size 尺寸SMALL [usually before noun] small in size 小的 a little house 小屋 a cake decorated with little flowers 点缀着小花的蛋糕 She was cutting the meat up into little bits. 她把肉切成小丁。little tiny/tiny little spoken (=extremely small) 极小的，丁点大的 a little tiny puppy 丁点大的小狗little bitty American English spoken (=extremely small) 极小的a little something informal (=a small present, or a small amount of food) 小礼物；少量的食物 I’d like to buy him a little something to thank him. 我想给他买样小东西谢谢他。► see thesaurus at small2 SMALLSTH you like or dislike 喜欢或厌恶之物 [only before noun] used between an adjective and a noun to emphasize that you like or dislike something or someone, although they are not important, impressive etc 小的〔用于形容词和名词之间，强调喜欢或厌恶〕 It could be a nice little business. 这可能是一门不错的小生意。 a useful little gadget 一件有用的小玩意儿 It was another of her silly little jokes. 这是她开的另一个愚蠢的小玩笑。 a boring little man 一个无趣的小男人poor little thing (=used to show sympathy) 可怜的小东西〔表示同情〕 The poor little thing had hurt its wing. 这可怜的小东西翅膀受伤了。3 a little bit a) a small amount of something 少量a little bit of With a little bit of luck we should finish by five o’clock. 我们有点运气的话，5点钟之前应该能完成。 I’m going to give you a little bit of advice. 我要给你一点小小的建议。 Let me tell you a little bit about myself. 我来给你稍微讲讲我自己吧。 b) slightly or to a small degree 少许，一点 I was a little bit disappointed. 我有点失望。4 time/distance 时间/距离NEARSHORT TIME [only before noun] short in time or distance 短时间的；短距离的 You could have a little sleep in the car. 你可以在车里小睡一会儿。 We walked a little way along this path. 我们沿着这条小路走了一小段。 He arrived a little while ago. 他刚到一会儿。5 young 年幼的YOUNG little children are young 年轻的，幼小的 We didn’t have toys like this when I was little. 在我小时候，我们没有这样的玩具。little boy/girl two little boys playing in the street 两个在街上玩耍的小男孩somebody’s little boy/girl (=someone’s son or daughter who is still a child) 某人的小儿子/女儿〔指尚未成年〕 Mum, I’m 17 – I’m not your little girl any longer. 妈，我17岁了——我不再是你的小女孩了。somebody’s little brother/sister (=a younger brother or sister who is still a child) 某人的小弟弟/妹妹〔指仍然是孩子〕 Her little brother and sister were fighting again. 她年幼的弟弟和妹妹又在打架了。► see thesaurus at young6 LITTLE/NOT VERYslight 轻微的 [only before noun] done in a way that is not very noticeable 微弱的；不明显的；轻微的7 unimportant 不重要的 [only before noun]8 (just) that little bit better/easier etc LITTLE/NOT MUCHbetter, easier etc by a small amount that will have an important effect （就）更好/更简单一点等〔指量少而效果大〕9. the little woman old-fashionedMARRY someone’s wife – often used humorously but now considered offensive by many women 老婆，婆娘〔指某人的妻子；常为幽默用法，但现在许多妇女认为此说法具有冒犯性〕 → a little bird told me at bird(4)5 GRAMMAR 语法• You can say smaller or smallest , but ‘littler’ and ‘littlest’ are not often used. 可以说 smaller 或 smallest，但 'littler' 和 'littlest' 很罕见Her feet are even smaller (NOT 不说 littler/more little) than mine.她的脚比我的还要小 。• You can use words like ‘quite’, ‘very’, and ‘too’ in front of small , but do not use them with little . 可在 small 前用 'quite'、'very'、'too' 等词，但不能在 little 前使用a very small car (NOT 不说 a very little car)一辆非常小的汽车n GrammarOrder of adjectivesIf there is more than one adjective, the adjectives are usually used in a fixed order.You say: What a pretty little cottage! ✗Don’t say: What a little pretty cottage!You say: I bought a little black bag. ✗Don’t say: I bought a black little bag.ComparativesYou can say smaller or smallest, but ‘littler’ and ‘littlest’ are not often used. You say: 可以说 smaller 或 smallest，但 'littler' 和 'littlest' 很罕见Her feet are even smaller than mine. 她的脚比我的还要小 。 ✗Don’t say: Her feet are even littler than mine. | Her feet are more little than mine.5 FREQUENCY 使用频率
Examples from the Corpus
little• I loved playing with blocks when I was little.• a poor little bird• Her little boy was Johnny, seven years old, dark-eyed and sweet.• What an annoying little boy!• What a lovely little dog!• She was only about seventeen, with the most beautiful little face I had ever seen.• a little farm on the hill• I haven't seen one of those since I was a little girl.• They've been married for ten years and have two little girls.• The little Hoflin, who had her speciality showpiece in Act Two, did it very badly and finally tripped and fell.• They bought a nice little house near the beach.• a nice little house• Todd's stupid little jokes• a little laugh• On the jetty near the little lighthouse is a remarkably good restaurant.• Delicate little Louise, requiring round-the-clock, year-long, life-long protection.• There's just that little matter of the $5000 you owe me.• a little nap• We saw a little old lady with a walking-stick.• There were three bridesmaids at the wedding, and even the little one behaved beautifully.• So this little one is a surprise.• a cute little puppy• Where the Aztecs are is just a little short.• It's just a little souvenir I brought back from Italy• Oh, the poor little thing, he's hurt his paw.• Alice gets angry over little things.• He had climbed a little way up the tree and gotten scared.a little something• So I thought, a little push, a little shove, a little something extra to shake it loose.• Pawlowski knows a little something about horsepower.• Here's a little something from the girls in the office.• Well, I ate a little something in my room earlier.• Before that, and this should tell you a little something, it was not much more attractive for Stanford.• Can yet give us a little something now, Morreen.• This time aliens stop by for a visit and leave a little something, um, behind.• I always bring Maggie a little something when I come back from business trips.• Let me just tell you a little something!• Mrs Fanning also stood up and said she could stand to leave behind a little something.nice little• The suit he wore was fabulous - a sort of electric blue braiding, a nice little cabaret job.• Found me some water and made me a nice little crop.• That would be a nice little earner for us.• These were the nice little gestures that went with the setting.• What is more she doesn't want to leave her home, a nice little house that she inherited from her parents.• Oh, Gramps, she thought tiredly, what a nice little legacy you left your granddaughter.• But now I have Timmy, a nice little man and a grand companion.a little while• I now had some helpful connections in Warsaw, even if for only a little while.• It might take me a little while.• So he stays at Camelot for a little while.• He came down from Massachusetts for a little while and paid a call on Whitman in Brooklyn.• I waited a little while before I called back.• I adjusted my tie and buttoned up the coat which, a little while later, I would be unbuttoning.• And Gabby hoped he was right, as they took their seats a little while later.• Just for a little while listen to me!• Stop by and learn a little while you enjoy the tunes.little boy/girl• I was a clever little girl.• She saw herself as such a jolly little girl.• As after all I was not a bad little boy but I was shy and covered it up by bravado.• You will interfere with my responsibilities regarding this very lost little boy only at supreme hazard to yourself.• Maria Luisa isn't the gullible little girl she was last year in Seville.• Nobody pushed little boys to play sports if they preferred to cook instead; nobody mocked little girls who collected spiders.• I encouraged a little boy to write the makers of his favorite mustard, telling them about his delight in their product.• He persisted, and discovered that the little boy was called Grégoire.little2 ●●● S1 W1 determiner, pronoun 1 LITTLE/NOT MUCHonly a small amount or hardly any of something 一点；少得几乎没有2 a little LITTLE/NOT MUCHa small amount 少量的3 as little as £5/3 months/10 feet etc used to emphasize how surprisingly small an amount is 只是5英镑/3个月/10 英尺等而已〔表示数量少得令人惊讶〕4 what little (also the little (that))POSSIBLE used to emphasize how small an amount there is, how small an amount is possible etc 仅有的一点；尽可能的一点5 a little (of something) goes a long way spoken used to say that only a small amount of something is needed or has a great effect 一点点（某物）就已足够[有很大的作用]5 GRAMMAR 语法• A little and little are used before uncountable nouns. a little 和 little 均用于不可数名词前。We still have a little time left.我们还剩一点时间。• A little means ‘some, but not a lot’. a little 意为 "有一些，但不多"I’ve got a bit of money left.我还剩下一点钱。• In spoken British English, it is more usual to say a bit of. 在英国英语口语中，更常用 a bit ofThere is now little hope of success.目前成功希望渺茫 。• Little on its own (without a ) means ‘not much’. It emphasizes how small the amount is. It is mainly used in writing or formal speech. little(没有 a 时)意为 “很少”， 强调数量非常少，主要用于书面语或正式讲话There was not much milk left.剩下的牛奶不多了。• In conversation or informal writing, it is more usual to say not much. 在对话或非正式书面语中，更常用 not muchn GRAMMAR: Comparisona little• A little means ‘some, but not a lot’.• You use a little before uncountable nouns: We still have a little time left.• You can say a little of the: A little of the milk got spilled. ✗Don’t say: A little of milk got spilled.little• Little is mainly used in more formal English. It means ‘not much’ and emphasizes how small an amount is. • You use little before uncountable nouns: There is little chance of success.• You can say very little: He has very little money.• In everyday English, people usually say not much instead: There is not much chance of success.He does not have much money.Examples from the Corpus
very little• We drink only occasionally, and even then very little.• The rich supposedly think otherwise -- and manage to pay very little.• Considering they work so hard they're paid very little.• A younger person marrying and taking on a teenage family may know very little about adolescents.• The soup is made with lots of vegetables but very little chicken.• Changing the law will make very little difference.• In some places, we find very little distinction between male and female.• Supplying that, they have time for very little else.• I had very little energy left.• Fish contains very little fat.• "How much do you know about computers?" "Very little, I'm afraid."• There was no ink in the bottle and very little left in the pen.• Even with the few remaining assets, there is very little margin to work on.• When Maria lost her job she had very little money in savings.• A white spot on a yellow model gathered very little more response.• From that moment on I saw very little of Dean, and I was a little sorry too.• He ate very little of the food we had given him.• He spends very little on food.• It makes very little sense for companies to maintain large inventories these days.• Kendall's condition has improved very little since last week.• There is very little slack built into the system and usually not much tolerance for errors.• The area has a lot of deer, but very little water and not much open space.little3 ●●● S1 W1 adverb 1 a little LITTLE/NOT MUCHslightly or to a small degree 少许，一点 SYN a bit2 LITTLE/NOT MUCHnot much or only slightly 很少，略微3 little did somebody know/realize/think etc NOTused to say that someone did not know or think that something would happen or was true 某人没有想到/意识到/认为等〔某事会发生或是真的〕4 little by little SLOWgradually 逐渐地5 more than a little/not a little literaryVERY extremely 非常，十分n GRAMMAR: Word orderYou use a little before an adjective: I was a little worried about her. ✗Don’t say: I was worried a little about her.Examples from the Corpus
little• Harrison felt little inclined to confide in Berthoud.• The 4. 3 cents were little noticed when they were added, and will be little noticed if removed.• The pattern of life here has changed little since I was a boy.very little• The rich supposedly think otherwise -- and manage to pay very little.• A younger person marrying and taking on a teenage family may know very little about adolescents.• In some places, we find very little distinction between male and female.• Supplying that, they have time for very little else.• Even with the few remaining assets, there is very little margin to work on.• A white spot on a yellow model gathered very little more response.• From that moment on I saw very little of Dean, and I was a little sorry too.• There is very little slack built into the system and usually not much tolerance for errors.Origin little1 Old English lytellit·tle1 adjective →5 GRAMMAR1 →n GRAMMAR2
→5 FREQUENCY1little2 determiner →5 GRAMMAR1 →n GRAMMAR2little3 adverb →n GRAMMAR1LDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable
→5 FREQUENCY1little2 determiner →5 GRAMMAR1 →n GRAMMAR2little3 adverb →n GRAMMAR1LDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable
in Corpus small size
Little
Little, Ralf /rælf/
(1981–) a British actor who is best known for playing the character of Antony Royle in the British television series The Royle Family.
Little, Ralf /rælf/
(1981–) a British actor who is best known for playing the character of Antony Royle in the British television series The Royle Family.
little
lit‧tle1 S1 W1 /ˈlɪtl/ adjective
a little house
a cake decorated with little flowers
She was cutting the meat up into little bits.
little tiny/tiny little spoken (=extremely small)
a little tiny puppy
little bitty American English spoken (=extremely small)
a little something informal (=a small present, or a small amount of food)
I’d like to buy him a little something to thank him.
2. SOMETHING YOU LIKE OR DISLIKE [only before noun] used between an adjective and a noun to emphasize that you like or dislike something or someone, although they are not important, impressive etc:
It could be a nice little business.
a useful little gadget
It was another of her silly little jokes.
a boring little man
poor little thing (=used to show sympathy)
The poor little thing had hurt its wing.
3. a little bit
a. a small amount of something
a little bit of
With a little bit of luck we should finish by five o'clock.
I’m going to give you a little bit of advice.
Let me tell you a little bit about myself.
b. slightly or to a small degree:
I was a little bit disappointed.
4. TIME/DISTANCE [only before noun] short in time or distance:
You could have a little sleep in the car.
We walked a little way along this path.
He arrived a little while ago.
5. YOUNG little children are young:
We didn’t have toys like this when I was little.
little boy/girl
two little boys playing in the street
sb’s little boy/girl (=someone’s son or daughter who is still a child)
Mum, I’m 17 – I’m not your little girl any longer.
sb’s little brother/sister (=a younger brother or sister who is still a child)
Her little brother and sister were fighting again.
6. SLIGHT [only before noun] done in a way that is not very noticeable:
a little smile
Nicolo gave a little nod of his head.
7. UNIMPORTANT [only before noun]
a. not important:
She gets very angry over little things.
There isn’t time to discuss every little detail.
b. not important – used when you really think that something is important:
There’s just that little matter of the £5,000 you owe me.
8. (just) that little bit better/easier etc better, easier etc by a small amount that will have an important effect:
Working fewer hours will make life just that little bit easier for me.
9. the little woman old-fashioned someone’s wife – often used humorously but now considered offensive by many women
⇨ a little bird told me at bird(4)
GRAMMAR
You can say smaller or smallest, but 'littler' and 'littlest' are not often used:
▪Her feet are even smaller (NOT littler/more little) than mine.
You can use words like 'quite', 'very', and 'too' in front of small, but do not use them with little:
▪a very small car (NOT a very little car)
little2 S1 W1 determiner, pronoun
1. only a small amount or hardly any of something:
There’s little doubt in my mind that he’s guilty.
I paid little attention to what the others were saying.
Little is known about the causes of the problem.
Changes in the law have done little to improve the situation.
little of
Little of their wealth now remains.
There’s very little money left.
Many of the students speak little or no English.
He knew little or nothing (=almost nothing) about fixing cars.
My lawyer advised me to say as little as possible.
He did precious little (=very little) to help.
The laboratory tests are of little real value.
2. a little a small amount:
Fortunately I had a little time to spare.
Susan speaks a little French.
A little over half the class can swim.
He walked on a little (=a short distance) and then turned back.
a little more/less
Would you like a little more milk in your coffee?
a little of
The city is regaining a little of its former splendour.
3. as little as £5/3 months/10 feet etc used to emphasize how surprisingly small an amount is:
Prices for his paintings start from as little as £100.
The weather can change completely in as little as half an hour.
4. what little (also the little (that)) used to emphasize how small an amount there is, how small an amount is possible etc:
We did what little we could to help.
I handed over what little money I had left.
5. a little (of something) goes a long way spoken used to say that only a small amount of something is needed or has a great effect:
A little kindness goes a long way.
GRAMMAR
A little.and little are used before uncountable nouns.
A little.means __some, but not a lot__:
▪We still have a little time left.
In spoken British English, it is more usual to say a bit of:
▪I’ve got a bit of money left.
Little.on its own (without a) means __not much__. It emphasizes how small the amount is. It is mainly used in writing or formal speech:
▪There is now little hope of success.
In conversation or informal writing, it is more usual to say not much:
▪There was not much milk left.
little3 S1 W1 adverb
1. a little slightly or to a small degree
SYN a bit:
She trembled a little as she spoke.
He was a little surprised at her request.
a little more/better/further etc
We’ll have to wait a little longer to see what happens.
GRAMMAR
When you use a little with an adjective, it should come before the adjective, not after it:
▪I was a little worried about her (NOT I was worried a little ...).
► You cannot use a little with an adjective before a noun. Use rather or slightly:
▪It was a rather strange situation (NOT a little strange situation).
2. not much or only slightly:
The town has changed little over the years.
The situation has improved very little.
little known/understood etc (=not known about by many people)
a little known corner of the world
little more/better etc (than something)
His voice was little more than a whisper.
3. little did somebody know/realize/think etc used to say that someone did not know or think that something would happen or was true:
Little did I know that the course of my life was about to change.
4. little by little gradually:
Little by little he became accepted by the family.
5. more than a little/not a little literary extremely:
Graham was more than a little frightened by what he had seen.
| I |
adjective Language: Old English
Origin: lytel
1. SIZE [usually before noun] small in size:Origin: lytel
little tiny/tiny little spoken (=extremely small)
little bitty American English spoken (=extremely small)
a little something informal (=a small present, or a small amount of food)
2. SOMETHING YOU LIKE OR DISLIKE [only before noun] used between an adjective and a noun to emphasize that you like or dislike something or someone, although they are not important, impressive etc:
poor little thing (=used to show sympathy)
3. a little bit
a. a small amount of something
a little bit of
b. slightly or to a small degree:
4. TIME/DISTANCE [only before noun] short in time or distance:
5. YOUNG little children are young:
little boy/girl
sb’s little boy/girl (=someone’s son or daughter who is still a child)
sb’s little brother/sister (=a younger brother or sister who is still a child)
6. SLIGHT [only before noun] done in a way that is not very noticeable:
7. UNIMPORTANT [only before noun]
a. not important:
b. not important – used when you really think that something is important:
8. (just) that little bit better/easier etc better, easier etc by a small amount that will have an important effect:
9. the little woman old-fashioned someone’s wife – often used humorously but now considered offensive by many women
⇨ a little bird told me at bird(4)
GRAMMAR
You can say smaller or smallest, but 'littler' and 'littlest' are not often used:
▪
You can use words like 'quite', 'very', and 'too' in front of small, but do not use them with little:
▪
| II |
determiner, pronoun1. only a small amount or hardly any of something:
little of
2. a little a small amount:
a little more/less
a little of
3. as little as £5/3 months/10 feet etc used to emphasize how surprisingly small an amount is:
4. what little (also the little (that)) used to emphasize how small an amount there is, how small an amount is possible etc:
5. a little (of something) goes a long way spoken used to say that only a small amount of something is needed or has a great effect:
GRAMMAR
A little.and little are used before uncountable nouns.
A little.means __some, but not a lot__:
▪
In spoken British English, it is more usual to say a bit of:
▪
Little.on its own (without a) means __not much__. It emphasizes how small the amount is. It is mainly used in writing or formal speech:
▪
In conversation or informal writing, it is more usual to say not much:
▪
| III |
adverb1. a little slightly or to a small degree
SYN a bit:
a little more/better/further etc
GRAMMAR
When you use a little with an adjective, it should come before the adjective, not after it:
▪
► You cannot use a little with an adjective before a noun. Use rather or slightly:
▪
2. not much or only slightly:
little known/understood etc (=not known about by many people)
little more/better etc (than something)
3. little did somebody know/realize/think etc used to say that someone did not know or think that something would happen or was true:
4. little by little gradually:
5. more than a little/not a little literary extremely:
In BrE a bit to mean 'slightly' or 'to a small extent'.英式英语常用 a bit 表示稍微、有点儿 ：◆ These shoes are a bit tight. 这鞋有点儿紧。 ◆ I'll be a bit later home tomorrow. 明天我要晚点儿回家。 ◆ Can you turn the volume up a bit? 你能把音量开大点儿吗？ It is more common in NAmE a little , or( a little bit . You can also use these phrases inBrE 美式英语较常用 a little 或 a little bit（非正式），英式英语亦可以这样说 ：◆ These shoes are a little bit too tight. 这鞋有点儿紧。 ◆ I'll be a little later home tomorrow. 明天我要晚点儿回家。 ◆ Can you turn the volume up a little bit? 你能把音量开大点儿吗？