little by little Definition

little
adj littler, littlest

1. Small in size, extent or amount.

Thesaurus: small, diminutive, tiny, miniature, dwarfish, elfin; infinitesimal, minuscule, imperceptible; limited, slight, insufficient, cramped.
2. Young; younger.

Example: a little girl
Example: her little brother
3. Small in importance.

Example: a little mishap
4. Trivial or petty.

Example: a little misunderstanding
Example: a little disagreement
Thesaurus: insignificant, petty, unimportant, trivial.
5. Used as a way of detracting from a potentially disparaging implication: not troublesome.

Example: funny little ways
6. Small-minded or mean.

Example: He's a little liar

adverb

less, least
1. Not much or at all.

Example: They little understood the implications

pronoun

1. Not much.

Example: little to be gained from that course of action

Idiom: a little

Note: with a noun such as bit, while, way understood but not expressed
A small amount.
Example: do a little to help out

A short time.
Example: He'll be here in a little

A short distance.
Example: down the road a little

A small degree or extent.
Example: run around a little to keep warm

Idiom: little by little

Gradually; by degrees.

Idiom: make little of something

To treat it as unimportant or trivial.

To understand only a little of it.

Idiom: think little of something or someone

To have a low opinion of it or them; to disapprove of it or them.

Idiom: not a little

Very. See also less, lesser, least.
Example: He was not a little upset

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon lytel.