INDEX:
a small amount
1. a small amount of a substance
2. a very small amount of a substance
3. a small amount of food or drink
4. a small amount of money
5. too little money
6. a small amount of something such as a feeling etc
7. a very small amount of something such as a feeling, quality etc
8. when something or someone moves or changes a little
a little/not very
9. a little tired/sad/older/bigger etc
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ LOT
a little time : ↑ SHORT
small in size : ↑ SMALL
see also
↑ FEW/NOT MANY
↑ AMOUNT
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1. a small amount of a substance
▷ a little /ə ˈlɪtl/ [quantifier]
▪ This glue’s really strong - you only need to use a little.
a little water/money/time etc
▪ A little make-up would make her look so much more attractive.
▪ The garden could do with a little rain.
▪ Try putting a little oil on the hinge and see if it stops squeaking.
a little more/less
▪ If we all used a little less paper, we’d probably save a forest or two.
a little of
a small amount of a specific substance
▪ A little of the grease got on my skirt.
▷ a little bit also a bit especially British /ə ˌlɪtl ˈbɪt, ə ˈbɪt/ [quantifier] informal
a small amount of something :
▪ You shouldn’t have given me so much toothpaste - I only needed a little bit.
a little bit of
▪ A bit of detergent should get that stain out of your collar.
▪ Save a little bit of the paint to do the trim.
▷ not much /nɒt ˈmʌtʃ/ [quantifier]
only a small amount of something - use this especially when you expect or need more :
▪ ‘How much paper is there in the printer?’ ‘Not much.’
not much water/money/time etc
▪ There’s not much light in this room, is there?
▪ It was very cold, but there wasn’t much snow on the ground.
not very much
▪ That’s not very much paint if you’re planning to paint the whole bedroom.
not much of
a small part of a specific substance
▪ You can use my shampoo but there’s not much of it left.
▷ a small amount /ə ˌsmɔːl əˈmaʊnt/ [quantifier]
use this especially when it is a measured amount :
▪ Squeeze a small amount onto the palm of your hand and spread the gel evenly through your hair.
a small amount of
▪ Stir-fry the vegetables in a small amount of oil.
▪ Even a small amount of the drug can be detected in the test.
▪ Small amounts of radiation were found on their clothing.
in small amounts
▪ Fluorine is present in small amounts on Mars.
▷ trickle /ˈtrɪk ə l/ [quantifier]
a small amount of a liquid, flowing out of something :
▪ Because of the drought, the river has become little more than a trickle.
trickle of
▪ There was a trickle of blood coming from the corner of his mouth.
▷ dab /dæb/ [quantifier]
a small amount of a liquid, cream, or powder which has been put onto a surface with something such as a brush or with the fingers :
▪ Can I use some of your perfume? I just want to put a dab on my wrist.
dab of
▪ She put a dab of ointment on the cut.
▪ The car just needs a couple of dabs of paint here and there, and it’ll be fine.
▷ low /ləʊ/ [adjective]
if something is low in fat, sugar, salt etc, it contains very little fat, sugar etc :
low in
▪ The casserole is low in calories and fat.
▪ These new industrial cleaners are much lower in ammonia and other dangerous chemicals than before.
low-fat/-sugar/-cholesterol etc
▪ He’s been on a low-cholesterol diet since his heart attack.
low fat/sugar/cholesterol etc content
▪ Non-dairy toppings tend to have lower fat content than whipping cream.
2. a very small amount of a substance
▷ very little /ˌveri ˈlɪtl/ [quantifier]
a very small amount, usually so that there is not enough to be useful, to be important etc :
▪ There was no ink in the bottle and very little left in the pen.
very little water/money/time etc
▪ Fish contains very little fat.
▪ The area has a lot of deer, but very little water and not much open space.
▷ hardly/barely any /scarcely any especially British /ˌhɑːʳdli, ˌbeəʳli ˈeni, ˌskeəʳsli ˈeni/ [quantifier]
almost none at all :
▪ Don’t forget to order some more paper for the copy machine - there’s barely any left.
hardly any water/money/time etc
▪ The ferns manage to grow with scarcely any sunlight.
▪ He was fifty years old and his hair still had hardly any gray in it.
▷ almost no /ˌɔːlməʊst ˈnəʊ/ [quantifier]
such a small amount that you can hardly see it, use it etc :
almost no water/money/time
▪ Potatoes have almost no fat, but they’re very filling.
▪ He had a longish, plain face with a straight nose and almost no hair.
almost none
▪ ‘How much glue is left?’ ‘Almost none.’
almost none of something
▪ By the time the dentist had finished almost none of the existing tooth remained.
▷ no ... to speak of /nəʊ ... tə ˈspiːk ɒv/ [adverb]
if there is no rain, food, oil, etc to speak of, there is almost none and not enough to have any effect :
▪ There had been no rain to speak of for ten weeks and the garden was dying.
none to speak of
▪ There’s no fuel oil left - none to speak of, anyway.
▷ trace /treɪs/ [quantifier]
an amount so small that it is very difficult to see :
▪ She had very little grey hair, with just a trace near the temples.
trace of
▪ Police found traces of blood on the killer’s shoes.
▪ Tests have revealed traces of poison in his food.
3. a small amount of food or drink
▷ a little /ə ˈlɪtl/ [quantifier]
▪ ‘Would you like some more coffee?’ ‘Just a little.’
a little water/meat/cake etc
▪ The next day Mark felt well enough to eat a little solid food.
▪ Would you like a little ice cream with your pie?
a little of
a small amount of a specific food, drink etc
▪ I think I’ll try a little of the casserole.
a little more/less
▪ If I were you I’d use a little less salt next time.
▷ a little bit also a bit especially British /ə ˌlɪtl ˈbɪt, ə ˈbɪt/ [quantifier] informal
a small amount :
▪ ‘Can I serve you some soup?’ ‘Alright, but just a little bit.’
a little bit of
▪ He only ate a little bit of dinner and then went straight to bed.
▪ Would you like a bit of bacon with your eggs?
▪ We still have a little bit of cheese left, if you want it.
a (little) bit more/less
▪ Can I have a bit more red wine, please?
▷ not much /nɒt ˈmʌtʃ/ [quantifier]
only a little - use this especially when you expect or need more :
▪ ‘How much cake do you want?’ ‘Not much, I’m on a diet.’
not much water/meat/cake etc
▪ There’s not much wine left, but I think we can each have a glass.
not much to eat/drink
▪ We need to do some shopping - there isn’t much to eat at home.
not very much
▪ You haven’t eaten very much. Do you feel okay?
▷ very little /ˌveri ˈlɪtl/ [quantifier]
a very small amount, usually so small that there is not enough to have an effect, be useful etc :
▪ We drink only occasionally, and even then very little.
very little water/meat/cake etc
▪ The soup is made with lots of vegetables but very little chicken.
very little of
▪ He ate very little of the food we had given him.
▷ hardly/barely any also scarcely any especially British /ˌhɑːʳdli, ˌbeəʳli ˈeni, ˌskeəʳsli ˈeni/ [quantifier]
almost none at all :
▪ I thought you liked my lasagne, but you’ve eaten hardly any.
hardly any water/meat/cake etc
▪ There’s barely any sugar in these cookies at all.
▪ Since his heart attack he’s eaten scarcely any red meat.
▷ drop /drɒpǁdrɑːp/ [quantifier] informal
a small amount of something that you drink :
▪ ‘Do you take cream in your coffee?’ ‘Yes, just a drop, please.’
drop of
▪ Would you like a drop of soda in your whisky?
▪ He hasn’t had a drop of alcohol in 20 years.
▷ pinch /pɪntʃ/ [quantifier]
a small amount of a powder such as salt, flour etc which you can hold between your thumb and first finger :
pinch of
▪ Add a pinch of salt and half a cup of breadcrumbs.
▪ The stew normally tastes better with a pinch or two of dried herbs.
▷ dash /dæʃ/ [quantifier]
a very small amount of a liquid which is added to a drink or to food, usually in order to give it a stronger taste :
dash of
▪ It’s just vodka with orange juice and a dash of lime juice.
▪ The secret of this sauce is a couple of dashes of brandy added just at the end.
4. a small amount of money
▷ a little /ə ˈlɪtl/ [quantifier]
▪ Most people will give a little to charity if they are asked.
a little money/cash
▪ I have a little cash with me, but not enough to pay for both of us.
a little extra
▪ He earns a little extra by working on weekends.
a little over/under
a little more or less than an amount of money
▪ The car costs a little over $20,000.
a little more/less
▪ A private room costs a little more, but it’s worth it.
▷ not much /nɒt ˈmʌtʃ/ [quantifier]
there is only a small amount of money, especially when you expect or need more :
▪ After paying rent he doesn’t have much left to buy food and pay bills.
not much money/cash
▪ Pete didn’t get much money when he sold his car.
not very much
▪ I don’t think he earns very much working at the bank.
▷ very little /ˌveri ˈlɪtl/ [quantifier]
a very small amount of money, so that there is not enough to have an effect :
▪ He spends very little on food.
▪ Considering they work so hard they’re paid very little.
very little money/cash
▪ When Maria lost her job she had very little money in savings.
▷ next to nothing /ˌnekst tə ˈnʌθɪŋ/ [adverb]
if the amount that something costs is next to nothing, it is extremely cheap :
▪ It costs next to nothing to go to an afternoon movie.
▪ The company’s profits climbed from next to nothing to $6 million in just two years.
▷ nominal /ˈnɒmɪn ə l, ˈnɒmən ə lǁˈnɑː-/ [adjective]
a nominal sum, charge, or payment is very small, because what is important is that something is paid, even if it is much less than would usually be paid :
▪ We are allowed to use the tennis courts for a nominal fee.
a nominal £1/$5 etc
▪ Tickets for the concert are a nominal $3 for students.
▷ negligible /ˈneglɪdʒɪb ə l, ˈneglɪdʒəb ə l/ [adjective]
an amount of money that is negligible is so small that it has no effect or is so small that it is not worth worrying about :
▪ The cost of maintaining the machine is negligible.
▪ Expenses for maintaining the investment fund are negligible - just half a percentage point of profit.
▷ a drop in the ocean British /a drop in the bucket American /ə ˌdrɒp ɪn ði ˈəʊʃ ə n, ə ˌdrɒp ɪn ðə ˈbʌkə̇tǁ-ˌdrɑːp-/ [noun phrase] informal
an amount is a drop in the ocean or a drop in the bucket when it seems very small compared with what is really needed :
▪ The United States pledge of $100 million to the rainforest fund is a drop in the ocean.
▪ Third World debt is so massive that recent pledges to reduce it are just a drop in the bucket.
5. too little money
▷ paltry /ˈpɔːltri/ [adjective only before noun]
paltry sum/amount/pay/value etc
such a small amount, sum etc that it is insulting to the people it is paid to :
▪ Club owners in Kansas City paid paltry wages to jazz musicians but gave them steady work.
▪ Last year workers were offered a paltry raise of only one percent.
a paltry £1/$5 etc
▪ Many of the workers in the factory received a paltry $2 a day.
▷ derisory /dɪˈraɪsəri/ [adjective] formal, especially written
a derisory amount of money that you are offered or paid is so small that it is not worth considering seriously :
▪ Government increases in health expenditure are derisory.
a derisory £10/$100/10% etc
▪ The company’s profits increased 35%, but they’ve only offered a derisory 2.5% pay increase.
▷ pittance /ˈpɪt ə ns/ [singular noun]
an extremely small amount of money, especially when you think the people who are being paid it are being treated unfairly :
▪ They expect their staff to work hard, but the wages they pay are a pittance.
a mere/absolute pittance
▪ In the poorest parts of the country, children work 12-hour days for a mere pittance.
▷ peanuts /ˈpiːnʌts/ [plural noun] informal
a surprisingly small amount of money - use this when you are comparing two prices or amounts :
▪ The workers get paid peanuts.
▪ He’s got so much money, $500 is just peanuts to him.
6. a small amount of something such as a feeling etc
▷ a little /ə ˈlɪtl/ [quantifier]
▪ ‘Do you speak French?’ ‘Just a little.’
a little trouble/patience/help etc
▪ We had a little difficulty finding the place but we got there in the end.
▪ You might need a little help getting started, but after that you should be fine.
a little of
▪ I can understand a little of the frustration he must be feeling.
a little more/less
▪ With a little more creativity they could have made the house look really nice.
▷ a little bit also a bit especially British /ə ˌlɪtl ˈbɪt, ə ˈbɪt/ [quantifier] informal
a little :
▪ By now she was resisting him only a little bit.
a little bit of
▪ We had a little bit of trouble reading his handwriting.
▪ He brings a bit of experience and a lot of enthusiasm to the job.
a (little) bit more/less
▪ I think a bit more discipline is needed with these children.
▷ not much /nɒt ˈmʌtʃ/ [quantifier]
only a little :
▪ Not much is known about her childhood.
not much trouble/patience/help etc
▪ He doesn’t have much experience of running a business.
▪ It was clear that not much thought had been put into the plan.
not very much
▪ We didn’t have very much understanding of the problem then.
▷ a small amount of something /ə ˌsmɔːl əˈmaʊnt əv something/ [noun phrase]
a little of something :
▪ There is a small amount of truth to what he says.
▪ Big improvements can be made with only a small amount of training and effort.
▷ an element of something /ən ˈelə̇mənt əv something/ [noun phrase]
if there is an element of some quality such as truth, danger, or violence in something, there is a small amount of it, but enough to be noticed :
▪ There is always an element of risk in mountain climbing.
▪ She tried to maintain an element of mystery in her relationships.
▪ Despite the agreement between the two countries, an element of uncertainty about the future remains.
▷ taste /teɪst/ [singular noun]
a taste of power/happiness/fame etc
a short experience that shows you what it is like to have power, fame, happiness etc :
▪ Alvin had had a brief taste of freedom and didn’t want to live with his parents again.
▪ She decided to become an actress after getting her first taste of fame in a local theatre production.
7. a very small amount of something such as a feeling, quality etc
▷ very little /ˌveri ˈlɪtl/ [quantifier]
a very small amount, so that there is not enough to have an effect, be useful, important etc :
▪ ‘How much do you know about computers?’ ‘Very little, I’m afraid.’
very little trouble/patience/help etc
▪ I had very little energy left.
▪ Changing the law will make very little difference.
▪ It makes very little sense for companies to maintain large inventories these days.
▷ almost no /ˌɔːlməʊst ˈnəʊ/ [quantifier]
such a small amount that you can hardly notice it :
almost no trouble/patience/help etc
▪ Scientists have paid almost no attention to the new theory.
▪ She supports the bill although she admits it has almost no chance of being passed.
▪ The birth control campaign was begun 10 years ago but has had almost no impact in the rural areas.
almost none
▪ ‘What progress have you made on your research project?’ ‘Almost none.’
▷ hardly/barely any also scarcely any especially British /ˌhɑːʳdli, ˌbeəʳli ˈeni, ˌskeəʳsli ˈeni/ [quantifier]
almost none at all :
▪ She said she felt a lot of regret about leaving, but I felt hardly any at all.
hardly any trouble/patience/help etc
▪ They closed down the whole department with barely any notice to the staff.
▪ Mark is so lazy, he makes scarcely any effort to improve his work.
▷ a touch/hint/trace of something /ə ˈtʌtʃ, ˈhɪnt, ˈtreɪs əv something/ [quantifier]
a very small amount of something, that you almost do not notice :
▪ ‘Are you ready yet?’ asked Hazel, with a touch of irritation in her voice.
▪ For the first time a hint of tension had crept into their relationship.
▪ After speaking to her for awhile, he began to detect a trace of a Southern accent.
▷ little /ˈlɪtl/ [quantifier] formal
a small amount, especially when you expect more :
little trouble/patience/help etc
▪ Little progress was made during the negotiations.
▪ The report offers little hope that the economy will improve any time soon.
▪ There seems to be little chance of him coming home for Christmas.
▷ minimal /ˈmɪnɪm ə l, ˈmɪnəm ə l/ [adjective]
a minimal amount of something is the smallest that is possible, so that it is not worth thinking or worrying about :
▪ The new operating technique involves minimal risk to patients.
▪ The impact of the sale on current employees should be minimal.
▪ The crew had very little experience and were given minimal safety training.
▷ negligible /ˈneglɪdʒɪb ə l, ˈneglɪdʒəb ə l/ [adjective]
a negligible amount of something is so small that it has almost no effect at all :
▪ The damage done to his property was negligible.
▪ Economists say raising the minimum wage would have a negligible effect on employment rates.
▪ The chances of a healthy adult contracting the disease are negligible.
▷ next to nothing /ˌnekst tə ˈnʌθɪŋ/ [adverb]
if you know, learn, say, hear etc next to nothing about something, then you know, learn etc very little about it :
▪ I learned next to nothing at school - the teachers were awful.
▪ My parents know next to nothing about the men I date.
8. when something or someone moves or changes a little
▷ a little /ə ˈlɪtl/ [adverb]
▪ His work has improved a little since he began the special classes.
▪ Gas prices have fallen a little, but they are still much higher than last year.
▪ I could see that Mrs Ewing’s hand was trembling a little.
▷ a little bit also a bit British /ə ˌlɪtl ˈbɪt, ə ˈbɪt/ [adverb] informal
a little :
▪ Do you mind if I open the window a little bit.
▪ The centre of the town had changed a bit, but everything else was just as I remember it.
▪ Isn’t that house leaning a little bit to the right?
▷ slightly /ˈslaɪtli/ [adverb]
a little, but not enough to be important or easy to notice :
▪ The temperature had risen slightly, but it was still very cold.
▪ He stood for a moment, his body swaying slightly.
▷ not much /nɒt ˈmʌtʃ/ [adverb]
only a little and not as much as you might have expected :
▪ Things haven’t changed much over the past few years.
▪ I added more memory to my computer, but its performance didn’t improve much.
9. a little tired/sad/older/bigger etc
▷ a little /ə ˈlɪtl/ [adverb]
▪ I’m feeling a little tired, I think I’ll go upstairs and have a rest.
▪ When you’re a little older, you’ll understand why I’m doing this.
▪ ‘Do you feel sad that you’re leaving?’ ‘Just a little.’
▷ a little bit also a (tiny) bit British /ə ˌlɪtl ˈbɪt, ə (ˌtaɪni) ˈbɪt/ [adverb] informal
a little :
▪ I think David was a bit disappointed I forgot his birthday.
▪ I’m a little bit cold. Do you mind if I turn up the heat?
▪ Aren’t you a bit young to be going to nightclubs?
▪ I tried on the dress but it was just a tiny bit small.
▷ slightly /ˈslaɪtli/ [adverb]
a little, but not enough to be important or to notice :
▪ Florida has a slightly larger population than Illinois.
▪ Sean’s car is a slightly different colour.
▪ Lynn’s daughter is only slightly older than mine.
▷ not much /nɒt ˈmʌtʃ/ [adverb]
only a little and not as much as you might have expected :
▪ We should be there soon. It’s not much further.
▪ His son’s not much younger than I am.
not much good
▪ I’m not much good at explaining things.
▷ not very /nɒt ˈveri/ [adverb]
only a little or not at all :
▪ The house isn’t very old. It was built in the 1990s.
▪ I still go running, but not very often.
▪ ‘Was the bike expensive?’ ‘Not very.’
▪ The President was not very happy that the information had been leaked to the press.