little people

[lit-l pee-puhl] / ˈlɪt l ˌpi pəl /

NOUN

(in folklore) small, humanlike beings

Synonyms

WEAK

dwarfs elfenfolk elves fairies fairyfolk leprechauns

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

However, Sian said she was surprised by how little people knew about stem cell donation.

From BBC • Jan. 26, 2026

One way to understand how little people thought of these teams’ chances before the start of the season is through their preseason odds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 10, 2025

Lyonne isn’t riding a “new wave,” she’s surfing a tsunami, and she’s too high up to notice all of the little people whose careers are in jeopardy for the sake of cheaper, less artful filmmaking.

From Salon • Jun. 29, 2025

“Little by little, people started to talk about it, and it became this dark horse in the middle of big films.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2025

Ever since she was little, people called her a musical prodigy.

From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein