Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

little

3 adverb
     
little3 S1 W1
1

a little

slightly or to a small degree [= 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.
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.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
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