The meaning of little is not big. We use them to mean ‘not as much as may be expected or wished for’. Anything small, brief, young, or unimportant can be described as little.
Least / ˈliːst/ also littlest / ˈlɪtl̟əst/ britannica dictionary definition of little 1 a : A short distance or time: the adjective has no recognized mode of comparison.
Little and few have negative meanings. How to use little in a sentence. I had little money and little free time. In english, a little, little, a few, and few are used to describe small amounts of something, but they are used differently depending on whether the noun is countable or uncountable.
I find that i need very little sleep these. Something much less than all: A small amount of food or drink: You use little to indicate that there is only a very small amount of something.
The oed says of the word little: A small quantity or amount: Small in size or amount: A little down the road;
You can use 'so', 'too', and 'very' in front of little. (a) little and (a) few are quantifiers meaning ‘some’. If you live in a little cottage, it means your house is very small, and quite possibly adorable. The difficulty is commonly evaded by resort to a synonym (as smaller, smallest);
1 little / ˈ lɪtl̟/ adjective less / ˈlɛs/ or lesser / ˈlɛsɚ/ also littler / ˈlɪtl̟ɚ/ ;