| 释义 |
a little
lit·tle L0203900 (lĭt′l)adj. lit·tler or less (lĕs) also less·er (lĕs′ər), lit·tlest or least (lēst) 1. a. Small in size: a little dining room.b. Small in quantity or extent: a little money; a little work on the side. See Synonyms at small.2. Short in extent or duration; brief: There is little time left.3. Unimportant; trivial: a little matter.4. Narrow; petty: mean little comments; a little mind consumed with trivia.5. Having scant power or influence; of minor status: just a little clerk in the records office.6. a. Being at an early stage of growth; young: a little child.b. Younger or youngest. Used especially of a sibling: My little brother is leaving for college next week.adv. less or lesser, least 1. Not much; scarcely: works long hours, sleeping little.2. Not in the least; not at all: They little expected such a generous gift.n.1. A small quantity or amount: Give me a little.2. Something much less than all: I know little of their history.3. A short distance or time: a little down the road; waited a little.Idioms: a little Somewhat; a bit: felt a little better. little by little By small degrees or increments; gradually.
[Middle English, from Old English lȳtel.]
lit′tle·ness n.little a little1. 'little' used as an adjectiveLittle is usually an adjective. You use it to talk about the size of something. He took a little black book from his pocket.See small - little2. 'a little' used as an adverbA little is usually an adverb. You use it after a verb, or in front of an adjective or another adverb. It means 'to a small extent or degree'. They get paid for it. Not much. Just a little.The local football team is doing a little better.The celebrations began a little earlier than expected.Be Careful!
Don't use 'a little' in front of an adjective when the adjective comes in front of a noun. Don't say, for example, 'It was a little better result'. Say 'It was a slightly better result' or 'It was a somewhat better result'. 3. used in front of nounsLittle and a little are also used in front of nouns to talk about quantities. When they are used like this, they do not have the same meaning. You use a little to show that you are talking about a small quantity or amount of something. When you use little without 'a', you are emphasizing that there is only a small quantity or amount of something. So, for example, if you say 'I have a little money', you are saying that you have some money. However, if you say 'I have little money', you mean that you do not have enough money. I had made a little progress.It is clear that little progress was made.4. used as pronounsLittle and a little can be used in similar ways as pronouns. Beat in the eggs, a little at a time.Little has changed.5. 'not much'In conversation and in less formal writing, people do not usually use 'little' without 'a'. Instead they use not much. For example, instead of saying 'I have little money', they say 'I haven't got much money' or 'I don't have much money'. I haven't got much appetite.We don't have much time.Be Careful!
Don't use 'little' or 'a little' when you are talking about a small number of people or things. Don't say, for example, 'She has a little hens'. Say 'She has a few hens'. Similarly, don't say 'Little people attended his lectures'. Say 'Few people attended his lectures', or 'Not many people attended his lectures'. See few - a fewThesaurus| Adv. | 1. | a little - to a small degree; somewhat; "it's a bit warm"; "felt a little better"; "a trifle smaller"a bit, a trifle |
Translationslittle (ˈlitl) adjective1. small in size. He is only a little boy; when she was little (= a child). 小的 小的2. small in amount; not much. He has little knowledge of the difficulties involved. 一點點 一点点3. not important. I did not expect her to make a fuss about such a little thing. 瑣碎的 琐碎的 pronoun (only) a small amount. He knows little of the real world. 一點點 一些 adverb1. not much. I go out little nowadays. 鮮少 少2. only to a small degree. a little-known fact. 稍微 稍许3. not at all. He little knows how ill he is. 毫不 毫不a little1. a short time or distance. Move a little to the right! 一點(時間或距離) 一点（时间或距离） 2. a small quantity of something. He has a little money to spare; 'Is there any soup left?' `Yes, a little.' 少量 少量3. slightly. She was a little frightened. 稍許 稍许little by little gradually. Little by little we began to get to know him. 逐漸地 逐渐地make little of1. to treat as unimportant etc. He made little of his injuries. 輕忽 不重视2. not to be able to understand. I could make little of his instructions. 無法瞭解 无法领会
little means `not much': You have little reason to boast .
a little means `some', `a small quantity': There's a little milk left . a little
a little1. noun A small amount. A: "Do you want dessert?" B: "I'll just have a little since I'm still pretty full from dinner."2. adjective Slightly. I'm a little tired after going to the gym, but I can still meet you for dinner, don't worry!See also: littlea little1. A small amount, as in Will you have some more meat? Yes, just a little. [Early 1400s] 2. Somewhat or rather, slightly, as in I am a little annoyed with Harry. [Late 1300s] For a synonym, see a bit. See also: little a little Somewhat; a bit: felt a little better.See also: littleEncyclopediaSeeLITTLEMedicalSeeLittlea little
Synonyms for a littleadv to a small degreeSynonyms |