English-Thai Dictionary

Little Bear

N กลุ่ม ดาว หมี น้อย  klum-dao-me-noi

 

little

ADJ สั้นๆ (ช่วงเวลา  สักครู่  สักประเดี๋ยว  short brief san-san

 

little

ADJ อายุ น้อย  young immature mature ar-yu-noi

 

little

ADJ อ่อน กว่า  อายุ น้อยกว่า  younger elder older on-kwa

 

little

ADJ เล็ก  small tiny big large lek

 

little

ADJ เล็กน้อย  น้อย  ไม่ มาก  slight small much lek-noi

 

little

ADJ ใจแคบ  คับแคบ  mean narrow illiberal jai-kab

 

little

ADJ ไม่สำคัญ  เล็กน้อย  insignificant significant mai-sam-kan

 

little

ADV เล็กน้อย  นิดหน่อย  slightly not much lek-noi

 

little

ADV แทบจะ ไม่  hardly tab-ja-mai

 

little

ADV ไม่บ่อย  rarely seldom mai-boi

 

little

N จำนวน เล็กน้อย  jam-nuan-lek-noi

 

little

N ระยะทาง สั้น  short distance ra-ya-tang-san

 

little

N ระยะเวลา สั้น  short time ra-ya-we-la-san

 

little by little

ADV ทีละน้อย  ทีละเล็กทีละน้อย  ค่อยๆ  gradually te-la-noi

 

little by little

IDM ทีละน้อย  อย่าง ช้าๆ  te-la-noi

 

little finger

N นิ้วก้อย  nil-koi

 

little people

N คน ตัวเล็ก  ๆ (ใน นิทาน  kon-tua-lek-lek

 

little-ease

N คุก ที่ เล็ก มาก 

 

littleneck

N หอย กาบ พวก  Venus mercenaria

 

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

LITTLE

a. 1. Small in size or extent; not great or large; as a little body; a little animal; a little piece of ground; a little table; a little book; a little hill; a little distance; a little child.
2. Short in duration; as a little time or season; a little sleep.
3. Small in quantity or amount; as a little hay or grass; a little food; a little sum; a little light; a little air or water.
4. Of small dignity, power or importance.
When thou wast little in thy own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes? 1 Samuel 15:17.
5. Of small force or effect; slight; inconsiderable; as little attention or exertions; little effort; little care or diligence, little weight.

 

LITTLE

n. 1. A small quantity or amount. He demanded much and obtained little. He had little of his father's liberality.
2. A small space.
Much was in little writ -
3. Any thing small, slight or of inconsiderable importance.
I view with anger and disdain.
How little gives thee joy and pain.
4. Not much.
These they are fitted for, and little else.

 

LITTLE

adv. 1. In a small degree; slightly; as, he is little changed. It is a little discolored.
2. Not much; in a small quantity or space of time. He sleeps little.
3. In some degree; slightly; sometimes preceded by a. The liquor is a little sour or astringent.

 

LITTLENESS

n. 1. Smallness of size or bulk; as the littleness of the body or of an animal.
2. Meanness; want of grandeur; as littleness of conception.
3. Want of dignity. Contemplations on the majesty of God displayed in his works, may awaken in us a sense of our own littleness.
4. Meanness; penuriousness.

 

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

LITTLE

LITTLE Lit "tle, a. [The regular comparative of this word is wanting, its place being supplied by less, or, rarely, lesser. See Lesser. For the superlative least is used, the regular form, littlest, occurring very rarely, except in some of the English provinces, and occasionally in colloquial language. " Where love is great, the littlest doubts are fear. " Shak. ] Etym: [OE. litel, lutel, AS. l, litel, l; akin to OS. littil, D. luttel, LG. lütt, OHG. luzzil, MHG. lützel; and perh. to AS. lytig deceitful, lot deceit, Goth. liuts deceitful, lut to deceive; cf. also Icel. litill little, Sw. liten, Dan. liden, lille, Goth. leitils, which appear to have a different root vowel. ]

 

1. Small in size or extent; not big; diminutive; -- opposed to big or large; as, a little body; a little animal; a little piece of ground; a little hill; a little distance; a little child. He sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. Luke xix. 3.

 

2. Short in duration; brief; as, a little sleep. Best him enough: after a little time, I'll beat him too. Shak.

 

3. Small in quantity or amount; not much; as, a little food; a little air or water. Conceited of their little wisdoms, and doting upon their own fancies. Barrow.

 

4. Small in dignity, power, or importance; not great; insignificant; contemptible. When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes I Sam. xv. 17.

 

5. Small in force or efficiency; not strong; weak; slight; inconsiderable; as, little attention or exertion; little effort; little care or diligence. By sad experiment I know How little weight my words with thee can find. Milton.

 

6. Small in extent of views or sympathies; narrow; shallow; contracted; mean; illiberal; ungenerous. The long-necked geese of the world that are ever hissing dispraise, Because their natures are little. Tennyson. Little chief. (Zoöl.) See Chief hare. -- Little finger, the fourth and smallest finger of the hand. -- Little go (Eng. Universities ), a public examination about the middle of the course, which as less strict and important than the final one; -- called also smalls. Cf. Great go, under Great. Thackeray. -- Little hours (R. C. Ch. ), the offices of prime, tierce, sext, and nones. Vespers and compline are sometimes included. -- Little ones, young children. The men, and the women, and the little ones. Deut. ii. 34.

 

LITTLE

LITTLE Lit "tle, n.

 

1. That which is little; a small quantity, amount, space, or the like. Much was in little writ. Dryden. There are many expressions, which carrying with them no clear ideas,are like to remove but little of my ignorance. Locke.

 

2. A small degree or scale; miniature. " His picture in little. " Shak. A little, to or in a small degree; to a limited extent; somewhat; for a short time. " Stay a little. " Shak. The painter flattered her a little. Shak. -- By little and little, or Little by little, by slow degrees; piecemeal; gradually.

 

LITTLE

LITTLE Lit "tle, adv.

 

Defn: In a small quantity or degree; not much; slightly; somewhat; -- often with a preceding it. " The poor sleep little. " Otway.

 

LITTLE-EASE

LITTLE-EASE Lit "tle-ease `, n.

 

Defn: An old slang name for the pillory, stocks, etc. , of a prison. [Eng. ] Latimer.

 

LITTLENESS

LITTLENESS Lit "tle *ness, n.

 

Defn: The state or quality of being little; as, littleness of size, thought, duration, power, etc.

 

Syn. -- Smallness; slightness; inconsiderableness; narrowness; insignificance; meanness; penuriousness.

 

New American Oxford Dictionary

little

lit tle |ˈlitl ˈlɪdl | ▶adjective small in size, amount, or degree (often used to convey an appealing diminutiveness or express an affectionate or condescending attitude ): the plants will grow into little bushes | a little puppy dog | a boring little man | he's a good little worker. • (of a person ) young or younger: my little brother | when she was little she was always getting into scrapes. • denoting something, esp. a place, that is named after a similar larger one: New York's Little Italy. • used in names of animals and plants that are smaller than related kinds, e.g., little grebe. • of short distance or duration: stay for a little while | we climbed up a little way. • relatively unimportant; trivial (often used ironically ): we have a little problem | I can't remember every little detail. ▶determiner & pronoun 1 (a little ) a small amount of: [ as determiner ] : we got a little help from my sister | [ as pronoun ] : you only see a little of what he can do. • [ pronoun ] a short time or distance: after a little, the rain stopped. 2 used to emphasize how small an amount is: [ as determiner ] : I have little doubt of their identity | there was very little time to be lost | [ as pronoun ] : he ate and drank very little | the ruble is worth so little these days. ▶adverb ( less |les |, least |lēst | ) 1 (a little ) to a small extent: he reminded me a little of my parents | I was always a little afraid of her. 2 (used for emphasis ) only to a small extent; not much or often: he was little known in this country | he had slept little these past weeks. • hardly or not at all: little did he know what wheels he was putting into motion. PHRASES in little archaic on a small scale; in miniature. little by little by degrees; gradually: little by little the money dried up. little or nothing hardly anything. make little of treat as unimportant: they made little of their royal connection. no little considerable: a factor of no little importance. not a little a great deal (of ); much: not a little consternation was caused. • very: it was not a little puzzling. quite a little a fairly large amount of: some spoke quite a little English. • a considerable: it turned out to be quite a little bonanza. DERIVATIVES lit tle ness noun ORIGIN Old English lȳtel, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch luttel, German dialect lützel.

 

Little Ararat

Lit tle Ar a rat see Ararat, Mount.

 

little auk

lit tle auk ▶noun British term for dovekie.

 

Little Bear

Lit tle Bear |lɪdl bɛ (ə )r | the constellation Ursa Minor.

 

Little Bighorn, Battle of

Lit tle Big horn, Bat tle of |ˈbigˌhôrn | a battle in which General George Custer and his forces were defeated by Sioux and Cheyenne warriors on June 25, 1876, popularly known as Custer's Last Stand. It took place in the valley of the Little Bighorn River in Montana.

 

Little Bighorn River

Lit tle Big horn Riv er a river in northern Wyoming and southeastern Montana, scene of the 1876 defeat of George Custer's cavalry by Cheyenne and Sioux warriors.

 

little black dress

lit ¦tle black dress ▶noun informal a woman's short or medium-length black dress suitable for almost any social engagement.

 

Little Corporal

Lit tle Cor po ral a nickname for Napoleon.

 

Little Dipper

Lit tle Dip per the seven bright stars of the constellation Ursa Minor.

 

little end

lit ¦tle end ▶noun (in a piston engine ) the smaller end of the connecting rod, attached to the piston.

 

Little Englander

Lit tle Eng land er |ˈiNG (g )ləndər ˌlɪdl ˈɪŋɡləndər | ▶noun a person who opposes an international role or policy for Britain. DERIVATIVES Lit tle Eng land ism |-ˌdizəm |noun

 

little finger

lit tle fin ger |ˈlɪdl ˌfɪŋɡər | ▶noun the smallest finger, at the outer end of the hand, farthest from the thumb. PHRASES twist (or wrap or wind ) someone around one's little finger have the ability to make someone do whatever one wants.

 

Little Gem

Little Gem ▶noun a small compact lettuce of a variety of the cos type.

 

little grebe

lit tle grebe ▶noun a small, puffy-looking Old World grebe with a short neck and bill and a trilling call. [Genus Tachybaptus, family Podicipedidae: three species, in particular the widespread T. ruficollis (also called dabchick ). ]

 

little green man

lit ¦tle green man ▶noun informal an imaginary or hypothetical being from outer space.

 

little hours

lit tle hours ▶plural noun (in the Roman Catholic Church ) the offices of prime, terce, sext, and none.

 

Little Ice Age

Lit tle Ice Age ▶noun a comparatively cold period occurring between major glacial periods, in particular one such period that reached its peak during the 17th century.

 

Little League

Lit tle League |lɪdl liɡ | ▶noun youth baseball or softball under the auspices of an organization founded in 1939, for children up to age 12. DERIVATIVES Lit tle Lea guer noun

 

Little Lord Fauntleroy

Lit tle Lord Faunt le roy |lɪtllɔːdˈfɔːntlərɔɪ | see Fauntleroy.

 

little man

lit tle man ▶noun a person who conducts business or life on a small or ordinary scale; an average person. • dated used as a form of address to a young boy.

 

Little Masters

Little Masters a group of 16th -century Nuremberg engravers, followers of Dürer, who worked small-dimension plates with biblical, mythological, and genre scenes. ORIGIN mistranslation of German Kleinmeister ‘masters in small (prints )’.

 

Little Minch

Lit tle Minch see Minch.

 

Little Missouri River

Lit tle Mis sou ri Riv er a river that flows for 560 miles (900 km ) from Wyoming, through Montana and the Dakotas, to the Missouri River.

 

little ones

lit ¦tle ones ▶plural noun young children.

 

Little Ouse

Lit tle Ouse another name for Ouse ( sense 4 ).

 

little owl

lit tle owl |ˈlɪdl aʊl | ▶noun a small owl with speckled plumage, native to Eurasia and Africa. [Athene noctua, family Strigidae. ]

 

little people

lit tle peo ple |ˈlɪdl ˈpipəl | ▶plural noun 1 the ordinary people in a country, organization, etc. , who do not have much power. 2 small supernatural creatures such as fairies and leprechauns.

 

Little Rock

Lit tle Rock |ˈlɪtlrɑːk | the capital of Arkansas, located in the central part of the state, on the Arkansas River; pop. 189,515 (est. 2008 ).

 

Little Russian

Lit tle Rus sian ▶noun & adjective former term for Ukrainian.

 

Little St. Bernard Pass

Lit tle St. Ber nard Pass see St. Bernard Pass.

 

little theater

lit tle the a ter ▶noun a small independent theater used for experimental or avant-garde drama, or for noncommercial community productions.

 

Little Tibet

Lit tle Ti bet another name for Baltistan.

 

little toe

lit tle toe ▶noun the smallest toe, on the outer side of the foot.

 

Littleton

Lit tle ton |ˈlitl-tən ˈlɪtltən | an industrial city in north central Colorado, south of Denver, scene of a shooting at Columbine High School in April 1999 in which 15 (including the two student gunmen ) died and 21 were wounded; pop. 40,777 (est. 2008 ).

 

Little Turtle

Lit tle Tur tle (c.1752 –1812 ), American Indian leader, chief of the Miami. He was successful in raids on settlers in the Northwest Territory until several defeats forced him to sign the Treaty of Greenville (Ohio ) in 1795.

 

Littlewood, Joan

Little |wood |ˈlɪt (ə )lwʊd | (1914 –2002 ), English theatre director; full name Maud Joan Littlewood. She co-founded the Theatre Workshop (1945 ), which set out to present established plays in radical productions and to stage contemporary working-class plays. She is particularly remembered for her production of the musical Oh, What a Lovely War (1963 ).

 

Oxford Dictionary

little

lit ¦tle |ˈlɪt (ə )l | ▶adjective small in size, amount, or degree (often used to convey an appealing diminutiveness or express an affectionate or condescending attitude ): the plants will grow into little bushes | a little puppy dog | a boring little man. • (of a person ) young or younger: my little brother | when she was little she was always getting into scrapes. • [ attrib. ] denoting something, especially a place, that is the smaller or smallest of those so named or is named after a similar larger one: the village of Little Chesterton. • [ attrib. ] used in names of animals and plants that are smaller than related kinds, e.g. little grebe. • [ attrib. ] of short distance or duration: stay for a little while | we climbed up a little way. • [ attrib. ] relatively unimportant or trivial (often used ironically ): we have a little problem | I can't remember every little detail. ▶determiner & pronoun 1 (a little ) a small amount of: [ as determiner ] : we got a little help from a training scheme | [ as pronoun ] : you only see a little of what he can do. • [ pronoun ] a short time or distance: after a little, the rain stopped. 2 used to emphasize how small an amount is: [ as determiner ] : I have little doubt of their identity | there was very little time to be lost | [ as pronoun ] : he ate and drank very little | the rouble is worth so little these days. ▶adverb ( less, least ) 1 (a little ) to a small extent: he reminded me a little of my parents | I was always a little afraid of her. 2 only to a small extent; not much or often (used for emphasis ): he was little known in this country | he had slept little these past weeks. • hardly or not at all: little did he know what wheels he was putting into motion. PHRASES in little archaic on a small scale; in miniature. little by little by degrees; gradually: little by little the money dried up. little or nothing hardly anything. make little of treat as unimportant: they made little of their royal connection. no little considerable: a factor of no little importance. not a little a great deal (of ); much: not a little consternation was caused. • very: it was not a little puzzling. quite a little a fairly large amount of: some spoke quite a little English. • a considerable: it turned out to be quite a little bonanza. quite the little —— used as a condescending or ironic recognition that someone has a particular quality or accomplishment: you've become quite the little horsewoman. DERIVATIVES littleness noun ORIGIN Old English lȳtel, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch luttel, German dialect lützel.

 

Little Ararat

Little Ara ¦rat see Ararat, Mount.

 

little auk

lit ¦tle auk ▶noun a small, stubby short-billed auk (seabird ) with black plumage and white underparts, breeding in the Arctic. ●Alle alle, family Alcidae.

 

Little Bear

Little Bear the constellation Ursa Minor.

 

Little Bighorn, Battle of

Little Bighorn, Battle of |ˈbɪghɔːn | a battle in which General George Custer and his forces were defeated by Sioux warriors on 25 June 1876, popularly known as Custer's Last Stand. It took place in the valley of the Little Bighorn River in Montana.

 

Little Bighorn River

Lit tle Big horn Riv er a river in northern Wyoming and southeastern Montana, scene of the 1876 defeat of George Custer's cavalry by Cheyenne and Sioux warriors.

 

little black dress

lit ¦tle black dress ▶noun informal a woman's short or medium-length black dress suitable for almost any social engagement.

 

Little Corporal

Little Corporal a nickname for Napoleon.

 

Little Dipper

Lit tle Dip per the seven bright stars of the constellation Ursa Minor.

 

little end

lit ¦tle end ▶noun (in a piston engine ) the smaller end of the connecting rod, attached to the piston.

 

Little Englander

Little Englander ▶noun a person who opposes an international role or policy for England (or, in practice, for Britain ).

 

little finger

lit ¦tle fin ¦ger ▶noun the smallest finger, at the outer side of the hand, furthest from the thumb. PHRASES twist (or wind or wrap ) someone around one's little finger have the ability to make someone do whatever one wants.

 

Little Gem

Little Gem ▶noun a small compact lettuce of a variety of the cos type.

 

little grebe

lit ¦tle grebe ▶noun a small, dumpy Old World grebe with a short neck and bill and a trilling call. ●Genus Tachybaptus, family Podicipedidae: three species, in particular the widespread T. ruficollis (also called dabchick ).

 

little green man

lit ¦tle green man ▶noun informal an imaginary or hypothetical being from outer space.

 

little hours

lit ¦tle hours ▶plural noun (in the Western Church ) the offices of prime, terce, sext, and none.

 

little ice age

lit ¦tle ice age ▶noun a comparatively cold period occurring between major glacial periods, in particular one such period which reached its peak during the 17th century.

 

Little League

Little League ▶noun [ mass noun ] N. Amer. organized baseball played by children aged between 8 and 12.

 

Little Lord Fauntleroy

Little Lord Faunt |leroy |lɪtllɔːdˈfɔːntlərɔɪ | see Fauntleroy.

 

little man

lit tle man ▶noun a person who conducts business or life on a small or ordinary scale; an average person. • dated used as a form of address to a young boy.

 

Little Masters

Little Masters a group of 16th -century Nuremberg engravers, followers of Dürer, who worked small-dimension plates with biblical, mythological, and genre scenes. ORIGIN mistranslation of German Kleinmeister ‘masters in small (prints )’.

 

Little Minch

Little Minch see Minch.

 

Little Missouri River

Lit tle Mis sou ri Riv er a river that flows for 560 miles (900 km ) from Wyoming, through Montana and the Dakotas, to the Missouri River.

 

little ones

lit ¦tle ones ▶plural noun young children.

 

Little Ouse

Little Ouse another name for Ouse ( sense 4 ).

 

little owl

lit ¦tle owl ▶noun a small owl with speckled plumage, native to Eurasia and Africa and introduced to Britain. ●Athene noctua, family Strigidae.

 

little people

lit ¦tle people ▶plural noun 1 the ordinary people in a country, organization, etc. who do not have much power. 2 (the little people ) small supernatural creatures such as fairies and leprechauns.

 

Little Rhody

Little Rhody informal name for Rhode Island.

 

Little Rock

Little Rock |ˈlɪtlrɒk | the state capital of Arkansas; pop. 189,515 (est. 2008 ).

 

Little Russian

Little Rus |sian ▶noun & adjective former term for Ukrainian.

 

Little St Bernard Pass

Little St Ber |nard Pass see St Bernard Pass.

 

little slam

lit ¦tle slam ▶noun Bridge another term for small slam.

 

little theatre

lit ¦tle the ¦atre ▶noun a small independent theatre used for experimental or avant-garde drama, or for community, non-commercial productions.

 

Little Tibet

Little Tibet another name for Baltistan.

 

little toe

lit ¦tle toe ▶noun the smallest toe, on the outer side of the foot.

 

Littleton

Lit tle ton |ˈlitl-tən ˈlɪtltən | an industrial city in north central Colorado, south of Denver, scene of a shooting at Columbine High School in April 1999 in which 15 (including the two student gunmen ) died and 21 were wounded; pop. 40,777 (est. 2008 ).

 

Little Turtle

Lit tle Tur tle (c.1752 –1812 ), American Indian leader, chief of the Miami. He was successful in raids on settlers in the Northwest Territory until several defeats forced him to sign the Treaty of Greenville (Ohio ) in 1795.

 

Littlewood, Joan

Little |wood |ˈlɪt (ə )lwʊd | (1914 –2002 ), English theatre director; full name Maud Joan Littlewood. She co-founded the Theatre Workshop (1945 ), which set out to present established plays in radical productions and to stage contemporary working-class plays. She is particularly remembered for her production of the musical Oh, What a Lovely War (1963 ).

 

American Oxford Thesaurus

little

little adjective 1 a little writing desk: small, small-scale, compact; mini, miniature, tiny, minute, minuscule; toy, baby, pocket, undersized, dwarf, midget, wee; informal teeny-weeny, teensy-weensy, itsy-bitsy, itty-bitty, little-bitty, half-pint, vest-pocket, li'l, micro. ANTONYMS big, large. 2 a little man: short, small, slight, petite, diminutive, tiny; elfin, dwarfish, midget, pygmy, Lilliputian; informal teeny-weeny, pint-sized, peewee. ANTONYMS big, large. 3 my little sister: young, younger, junior, small, baby, infant. ANTONYMS big, elder. 4 I was a bodyguard for a little while: brief, short, short-lived; fleeting, momentary, transitory, transient; fast, quick, hasty, cursory. ANTONYMS long. 5 a few little problems: minor, unimportant, insignificant, trivial, trifling, petty, paltry, inconsequential, nugatory; informal dinky, piddling. ANTONYMS important, significant. 6 they have little political influence: hardly any, not much, slight, scant, limited, restricted, modest, little or /to no, minimal, negligible. ANTONYMS considerable. 7 you little sneak: contemptible, mean, spiteful, petty, small-minded. ▶adverb 1 he is little known as a singer | they little thought: hardly, barely, scarcely, not much, not at all, slightly, only slightly. ANTONYMS well. 2 his art has been little seen in Canada: rarely, seldom, infrequently, hardly, hardly ever, scarcely, scarcely ever, not much. ANTONYMS often. PHRASES a little 1 add a little vinegar: some, a small amount of, a bit of, a touch of, a soupçon of, a dash of, a taste of, a spot of; a shade of, a suggestion of, a trace of, a hint of, a suspicion of; a dribble of, a splash of, a pinch of, a sprinkling of, a speck of; informal a smidgen of, a tad of. 2 after a little, Oliver came in: a short time, a little while, a bit, an interval, a short period; a minute, a moment, a second, an instant; informal a sec, a mo, a jiffy. 3 this reminds me a little of the Adriatic: slightly, faintly, remotely, vaguely; somewhat, a little bit, to some degree. little by little little by little, the house fell into disrepair: gradually, slowly, by degrees, by stages, step by step, bit by bit, progressively; subtly, imperceptibly. CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD See small . These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between closely related synonyms to help you find the best word.

 

Oxford Thesaurus

little

little adjective 1 a little writing desk: small, small-scale, compact; mini, miniature, tiny, minute, minuscule; toy, baby, pocket, undersized, dwarf, midget; bijou, dainty, cute, sweet, dear; Scottish wee; informal teeny, teeny-weeny, teensy, teensy-weensy, itsy-bitsy, tiddly, half-pint, dinky; Brit. informal titchy, ickle; N. Amer. informal little-bitty, vest-pocket. ANTONYMS big, large. 2 the smile vanished from the little man's face: short, small, slight, thin, petite, diminutive, tiny; squat, stubby; elfin, dwarf, dwarfish, midget, pygmy, bantam, homuncular, Lilliputian; Scottish wee; informal teeny, teeny-weeny, pint-sized, knee high to a grasshopper. ANTONYMS big, large. 3 my little sister: young, younger, junior, small, baby, infant, minor. ANTONYMS big, old, elder. 4 I was a bodyguard for a little while: brief, short, short-lived; fleeting, momentary, transitory, transient, ephemeral, evanescent, infinitesimal; fast, quick, hasty, cursory; Scottish wee. ANTONYMS long. 5 this car does have a few little problems: minor, unimportant, insignificant, trivial, trifling, petty, paltry, inconsequential, negligible, inconsiderable, nugatory, of minor importance, of little /no account. ANTONYMS significant, important. ▶determiner they have low status and little political influence: hardly any, not much, slight, small, scant, limited, restricted, modest, little or no, minimal, negligible; insufficient, inadequate. ANTONYMS considerable, a great deal of. PHRASES a little 1 if it's too thick, add a little water: some, a small amount of, a bit of, a touch of, a soupçon of, a dash of, a taste of, a dab of, a spot of, a modicum of, a morsel of, a fragment of, a snippet of, a tinge of, a particle of, a jot of, a shade of, a suggestion of, a trace of, a hint of, a suspicion of; a dribble of, a splash of, a driblet of; a pinch of, a sprinkling of, a sprinkle of, a grain of, a speck of; informal a smidgen of, a tad of. ANTONYMS a lot of, a great deal of. 2 after a little, Oliver came in: a short time, a little while, a bit, an interval, a short spell, a short period; a minute, a moment, a second, a split second, an instant, a flash; informal a sec, a mo, a jiffy, a jiff. ANTONYMS a long time. 3 the whole scene does remind me a little of the Adriatic: slightly, faintly, remotely, vaguely; moderately, somewhat, a little bit, quite, to some degree, fairly; informal sort of, kind of, kinda, ish. ANTONYMS a great deal. little by little little by little, the town was turning into ruins: gradually, slowly, by degrees, by stages, step by step, piecemeal, progressively, bit by bit, inch by inch, inchmeal; subtly, imperceptibly, unnoticeably. ANTONYMS immediately, all at once. ▶adverb 1 he is little known as a teacher: hardly, barely, scarcely, not much, only slightly, slightly, only just. ANTONYMS well. 2 this disease is little seen nowadays: rarely, seldom, infrequently, hardly ever, hardly, scarcely ever, scarcely, not much. ANTONYMS often.

 

Sanseido Wisdom Dictionary

little

lit tle /lɪ́t (ə )l /〖「(物の大きさが )小さい, 幼い 」＞「量が少ない 」〗形容詞 less /les /, lesser /lésə r /, ～r /-ə r /; least /liːst /, ～st /-ɪst / (!語義により用いられる変化形が異なる; →less , lesser , least ) 【小さな 】1 〖通例 可算 名詞の前で 〗(形の )小さい 〈人 物 〉; 小規模の 〈集団など 〉(↔big , great ); 背の低い 〈人 〉; (ほかより )小さい (!比較変化形はsmaller, smallestを代用するが, ｟主に米 話 ｠ではlittler, littlestも用いられる ) ▸ a little dog 小さい犬 (!大きさをいう; 「子犬 」はpuppy ) ▸ little ones 子供たち, (動物の )子 ▸ a little town ≒｟話 ｠a tiny little [little tiny ] town 小さな町 (!後者は強意で繰り返されることがある: a little tiny, tiny [╳tiny little little ] town ちっちゃいちっちゃい町 ) ▸ “Which one did you make? ” “The little one. ”「あなたが作ったのはどっちですか 」「小さい方です 」▸ Here's a little something to drink with dinner .大した物ではありませんが夕食の時にお飲みください (≒… a small present …)▸ a little family 小家族 類義 littleとsmall, tiny 1 little は形状や規模の小ささをいうが, かわいらしさ, 未成熟, つまらなさ, 卑しさなど, 好き嫌いを表す感情がしばしば含まれる. small (↔large )は形状だけでなく数量 価値 規模などの小ささを客観的に表す. tiny は形状や数量が極端に小さいことを表し, 通例話者の驚きを暗示 .2 形状の小ささをいう little はbe動詞などの後で叙述的に用いる場合や, 前にveryを伴う場合は避けられる (↓7 )▸ The boy is still small [｟まれ ｠little ] for his age .その子は年齢の割にまだ小さい ▸ a very small [tiny , ｟まれ ｠little ] fish とても小さい魚 .2 〖可算 名詞の前で 〗(小さくて )かわいらしい , 愛らしい ; かわいそうな (!(1 )「小さい 」という意味は比較的弱い; 通例littleに強勢は置かない. (2 )形容詞 の後に用いられ, 優越感をもって愛情 嫌悪 同情などを示す; ↓表現 ) ▸ You poor little thing .かわいそうに ▸ (my ) little man [woman ]坊や [お嬢ちゃん ] (!呼びかけで; a little manは 「背の低い人 」) ▸ a horrible little woman 実にいやな女 ▸ the little wife ｟話 しばしばけなして ｠奥さん ▸ This car's a good little runner .この車はなかなか走りがいい 表現 コーパス littleの前に現れる主な 形容詞 話者の価値判断を表すものが多い ▸ beautiful, cute , dirty, funny, good, great, lovely, nasty, neat, nice, poor , pretty, silly, strange, stupid, sweet .3 (比較なし )年少の , 小さい (young ) (!｟主に米話 ｠ではlittler, littlestも用いられる ) ▸ I'm not a little girl, I'm a grown woman .私は幼い女の子ではない, 大人の女性だ (!my little boy [girl ]は 「 (未成年の )息子 [娘 ]」の意 ) ▸ my little brother [sister ]うちの (未成年の )弟 [妹 ] (!my younger brother [sister ]ともいう; ↔big brother [sister ]) ▸ the little Wilsons ウィルソンさんの子供たち ▸ When I was little , I had a pet mouse .子供のころ私はハツカネズミを飼っていた 4 (比較なし )〖名詞 の前で 〗短い, わずかの 〈距離 時間 期間 〉(↔long )▸ I'll call you back in a little while .少ししたら折り返しお電話します ▸ take a little walk ちょっと散歩する 5 〖可算 名詞の前で 〗弱々しい , かすかな , 軽い 〈音 動作など 〉(↔big )▸ give a little cough 軽くせきをする 6 〖可算 名詞の前で 〗a. つまらない 〈人 事 〉, 取るに足らない ; ちょっとした ; ささいな ; けちな (mean ); 権力 [地位 ]のない (↔great ) (!比較変化形はlesser; least, littlest ) ▸ ask questions about every little thing つまらないことでいちいち質問をする ▸ a little mind 度量が狭いこと ▸ a little joke 軽い冗談 ▸ Winning the game was no little task .試合に勝つことは並大抵のことではない ▸ I have a little matter I want to discuss with you .つまらないことだけど話し合っておきたいことがあるんだ (!実際には重要と思っていることを表す控えめ表現 ) b. 〖the ～; 名詞的に; 集合的に 〗つまらない人たち (!複数扱い ) .【少しの 】7 ｟ややかたく ｠〖little A 〗(量 程度について否定的に )ほとんどないA , 少ししかないA, あまりないA 〈物 事 〉(↔much ; →few 語法 ) (!(1 )Aは U 名詞. (2 )very, as, so, too, howなどの修飾語を伴わず単独で用いるのは ｟ややかたく ｠響く; a little (↓8 )と紛らわしいので ｟話 ｠ではnot much, only a littleの方が普通 (↓8 語法 ). (3 )比較変化形はless; least ) ▸ There is very little food at home .家には食べ物がごくわずかしかない ▸ He shows little interest in it .彼はそれにほとんど興味を示さない ▸ play such an important part with relatively little experience 相対的にほとんど未経験でそのような重要な役割を演ずる ▸ be of little real value 本当の価値はほとんどない .｟作文のポイント ｠彼が回復する見込みはほとんどない .× There is few hope (s ) of his recovery .○ There is little hope of his recovery .❢U 名詞にはlittleを用いる. この用法のlittleは通例 名詞 の前で用いるが, ｟まれ ｠に The hope of his recovery is little. の形もある .8 〖a little A 〗(量 程度について肯定的に )少しのA , 少量の , いくらかのA 〈物 事 〉(→few 語法 ) (!(1 )Aは U 名詞. (2 )限定される内容の場合, aの代わりにthe, one's, this, thatなどほかの限定詞を用いる. (3 )比較変化形はless; least ) ▸ add a little salt 塩少々を加える ▸ There is a little money left in the box .箱には少しは金が残っている ▸ I only speak [speak only ] a little English .英語は少しだけ話します (╳… a little of English. としない )▸ We'll finish today, with a little bit of luck .うまくいけば今日じゅうに終わるだろう ▸ the little help that is available わずかではあるが受けることのできる援助 語法 a littleとlittle 1 a littleとlittle (↑7 )のどちらを用いるかは, 明確な基準があるわけではなく話者の心理による. 同じ量であっても, 肯定的に 「少しはある 」「ないよりまし 」ととらえればa littleを, 否定的に 「ほとんどない 」「少ししかない 」ととらえればlittleを用いる .2 a littleはlittleと違って, veryを伴ったa very little Aの形は ｟まれ ｠. 一方, littleはa littleと違って, the little Aなどのように直接限定詞を伴うことはなく, 限定された名詞句と用いるときはlittle (…) ofの後に続ける (↑7 作文のポイント ; ↓代名詞 1 第2例 ).9 〖what ～ A 〗(…する )少量ながらある限りのA, (…する )どのような少ないAでも ▸ what little money (that ) I have なけなしの金 (≒the little money (that ) I have ; →that 代名詞 6 語法 )b ù t l í ttle A ほんのわずかしかないA ▸ There's but little hope left .望みはあまり残っていない .l ì ttle or n ó A (あるとしても )ほとんどないA, ないも同然のA ▸ have little or no effect ほとんど影響がない n ò l í ttle A 1 ｟かたく ｠(程度が )少なからぬA, かなりのA ▸ with no little fury かなり激怒して .2 ↑6 a .n ò t a l í ttle A ｟かたく ｠1 (程度 量について )少なからぬA, かなりのA ▸ You caused us not a little trouble .君のせいで私たちはずいぶんと困ったことになった 2 ↑3 .qu ì te a l í ttle A ｟主に米 くだけて ｠(量 程度について )かなり (多く )のA .qu ì te the l í ttle A ｟話 皮肉で ｠(迷惑がって )大したAだ ▸ She is quite the little lady .なんておしゃまな女の子だこと .代名詞 〖単数扱い 〗1 ｟ややかたく ｠〖aを伴わないで 〗(量 程度 頻度などについて否定的に )ほとんどない (ほどの量 ), わずかしかない (量 ), ほんの少し (↔much ; →few ) (!元来 形容詞 なのでvery, as, so, too, howなどの修飾語を伴うことがある; ↑形容詞 7 ) ▸ Little is known about the tribe's origins .その部族のルーツについてはほとんど知られていない ▸ Little of the work has been done .その仕事はほとんど手がつけられていない ▸ I've seen little of him recently .彼には最近ほとんど会っていない ▸ I had very little to do with the matter .私はその事件にはほとんど関係がなかった ▸ do little to help ほとんど助けにならない ▸ There was little else I could do at that time, was there? その時できることはほかにはほとんどありませんでしたね (!付加疑問文は肯定で呼応する ) .2 〖a little 〗 (!｟くだけて ｠ではa little bit ) a. (量 程度などについて肯定的に )少し , 少量 , いくらか (↔a lot )(↑形容詞 8 )▸ I'll give you a little .少しあげましょう ▸ He did what little he could. ≒He did all the little that he could .彼はわずかながらできるだけのことをした (!限定されているのでtheが付く ) ▸ I've only heard a little of their music .彼らの音楽は少しだけ聴いたことがある ▸ a very little ごく少量 b. 短い時間 [距離 ]▸ After a little she calmed down .しばらくして彼女は落ち着いた (≒ After a short time …)▸ for [in ] a little しばらくの間 [して ]3 〖what ～〗わずかながら …のところの物 [事 ]▸ I will do what little I can .私はわずかながら自分ができることをやる (≒I will do the little I can. ).A l ì ttle (A ) g ò es a l ò ng w á y .｟話 ｠必要なのはわずか (のA 〈事 〉)だけだ, わずか (のA )でも十分効果がある .as l í ttle as A (可能性のある最低数量を示して )Aだけ ; (数量の少なさを強調して )たった [わずか ]A ▸ Payment can be as little as $5 per month .支払は1か月5ドルより .as l ì ttle as p ó ssible 最低限の量だけ (しか ).in l í ttle ｟やや古 ｠小規模に [の ], 縮小した, 縮図の .l ì ttle by l í ttle ＝まれ by l ì ttle and l í ttle 徐々に, だんだん, 少しずつ (gradually ).l ì ttle or n ó thing ほとんどない ▸ He said little or nothing about what happened that night .彼はその晩起こったことについてほとんど何も話さなかった (≒He said hardly anything …)m à ke l í ttle of A →make A of B (1 ).m ò re than a l í ttle ｟かたく ｠少なからぬ量 .n ò t a l í ttle ｟かたく 文 ｠＝more than a little .副詞 less /les /; least /liːst /1 〖a little (bit )〗a. (程度について肯定的に )少し (は ), ちょ (び )っと (!(1 )↑形容詞 8 注記 (2 ). (2 )通例否定的評価を暗示する語と用いて望ましい程度をわずかに越えていることを表すが, 形容詞 副詞 の比較級や変化を暗示する語を修飾するときはその限りでない; ↓語法 ) ▸ He seemed a little nervous .彼は少し緊張しているようだった ▸ This shop's a little (bit ) too expensive for me .この店は私にはやや高すぎる ▸ He is a little younger than I am .彼は私よりちょっと若い ▸ His attitude has changed a little (bit ).彼の態度が少し変わった ▸ “You're drunk! ” “Just a little .”「酔ってるね 」「ほんの少しね 」b. 〖動詞 の後 /前置詞 の前で 〗(時間 距離の点で )少し (!動詞 の後ではslightlyと交換不可能 ) ▸ Move a little to the left .少し左へ寄ってください ▸ relax a little 少しくつろぐ ▸ a little over a year ago 1年ちょっと前に .類義 a littleとa bit, a little bit, slightly 1 a little , a bit, a little bit, slightlyはいずれも程度が少ないことを表す. a bit と a little bit はくだけた言い方だが, 後者の方が強意的. slightly はこれらの語句より ｟かたく ｠響く. いずれも英米で用いるが, a littleとa little bitは ｟米 ｠で, a bitは ｟英 ｠で好まれる .2 限定用法の 形容詞 の前は slightly が好まれる ▸ Let me say it a slightly [｟ややまれ ｠a little ] different way .少し別の言い方をさせてください .語法 否定的評価 1 a little (bit ), a bit, slightlyは話者の通例否定的評価を暗示する語と用いるため, もともと肯定的な意味をもつ 動詞 と用いると不自然に響く ▸ ｟不自然 ｠Ally likes John a little . (!Ally doesn't like John very much . (アリーはジョンのことをあまり好きではない )の方が普通 ) .2 ｟コーパス ｠次のような場合は肯定的な意味をもつ 動詞 とも用いられる a. 比較級を修飾する場合 ▸ You like Abby, but you like me a little (bit ) more ?あなたはアビーのことが好きだけど, 私のことを少しよけいに好きでしょ b. 変化を暗示する場合 (↑1a 第4例 )▸ I've met him and got to know him a little bit .彼と会って彼のことを少し知るようになった .c. onlyを含んで否定的暗示がある場合 ▸ I know that you only like me a little (bit ), but I like you a lot .君が私のことを少しだけ好きなのはわかっているが, 私は君のことが大好きなんだ .d. 強意を含む場合 ▸ Even if he did like her a little , it's only the first day of school .仮に彼が彼女のことを少し気に入るようなことがあったとしても, それも最初の登校日限りのことだ .2 〖aを伴わないで 〗(量 程度 頻度について否定的に )ほとんど …ない , ほんの少し [わずか ]しか …ない , あまり …ない (!(1 )↑形容詞 7 注記 (2 ). (2 )通例 形容詞 副詞 は修飾しないがknown及び比較級や比較を表すdifferentは修飾可能 ) ▸ I worked very little yesterday .昨日はほとんど仕事をしなかった ▸ The spa is little known to outsiders .その温泉は外の人にはまったく知られていない ▸ I am very little different from him .私と彼とあまり変わらない [ほとんど同じだ ]▸ John behaved little better .ジョンは行儀よくなるどころかほとんど変わらなかった (≒John behaved hardly any better. ).3 ｟かたく ｠〖動詞 の前で 〗少しも …ない (not at all ) (!通例know, think, dream, understand, imagine, realize, careなど思考を表す 動詞 が続く ) ▸ Little did I dream [know, realize ] that this was to change my life .｟文 ｠このことが私の人生を変えようとは夢にも思わなかった [ちっとも気がつかなかった ] (!littleが文頭にあるので倒置文となっている ) l ì ttle b é tter than A ＝little more than A (1 ).l ì ttle l é ss than A 1 (程度の大きさを強調して )ほとんどA 〈人 物 事 〉も同然で .2 (多さを強調して )A 〈数量 〉ほどもの多く .l ì ttle m ó re than A 1 (程度の小ささを強調して )ほとんどA 〈人 物 事 〉も同然で [にすぎない ].2 (少なさを強調して )ほんの [たった ]A 〈数量 〉程度 .m ò re than a l í ttle ｟かたく ｠〖形容詞 副詞 動詞 を修飾して 〗少なからず, 大いに (!｟よりくだけて ｠ではmore than a little bitも可能 ) .n ò t a l í ttle ｟かたく 文 ｠〖形容詞 副詞 動詞 比較級を修飾して 〗少なからず, 大いに (!not a bitは 「少しも …ない 」の意 ) .qu ì te a l í ttle 〖比較級の前で 〗かなり .L -̀ Am é rica リトルアメリカ 〘米国の南極探検基地 〙.L -̀ B é ar 〖the ～〗〘天 〙こぐま座 (Ursa Minor ).L -̀ D í pper ｟米 ｠〖the ～〗〘天 〙小北斗七星 〘こぐま座をさす 〙.L -̀ É nglander 小英国主義者 〘英帝国の領土拡大よりも本国を重視する一派 〙.～̀ f í nger 小指 (→finger ).～́ g ò 1 ｟古 ｠(Cambridge, Oxford大学の )学士取得のための第1次試験 .2 ｟米俗 ｠どうでもよい [さえない ]仕事 [努力 ].～̀ gr è en m á n 宇宙人 (｟男女共用 ｠alien ).L -́ L è ague ｟米 ｠リトルリーグ 〘12歳以下の少年野球 〙.～́ magaz ì ne [rev ì ew ]同人雑誌 〘旧思潮や商業主義に抵抗し少数の同志で発行 〙.～́ m à n 取るに足らない男 ; 男の子 .～̀ M á ry ｟英話 ｠おなか (stomach ).～̀ p é ople [f ó lk ]1 (国 組織の無力な )大衆, 小市民 .2 〖the ～〗小妖精 （ようせい ）たち (fairy ).3 子供たち .L -̀ Rh ó dy 〖the ～〗リトルローディー 〘米国Rhode Island州の愛称 〙.L -̀ R ó ck リトルロック 〘米国Arkansas州の州都 〙.～̀ sl á m ＝small slam .～̀ th é ater 小劇場 ; (実験的に )小劇場で上演される劇 .～̀ t ó e (足の )小指 .L -̀ T ó kyo リトルトーキョー 〘Los Angeles市内の日系人街 〙.～̀ w ó man ｟話 けなして やや古 ｠〖the ～〗女房, 愚妻, うちのやつ (!partner, spouse, wifeを用いる方がよい ) .～ness 名詞 U 小さい [かわいらしい ]こと ; 少ないこと ; 度量の狭さ, けちくささ .