Meaning & use
little squirt
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Meanings
nouncountableinformalhumorous
A small or young person, often one who is seen as annoying or as having too high an opinion of themselves.
Grammar: Plural is little squirts: the little squirts ran across the lawn.
Patterns
- a little squirt of a boy
My older brother still calls me a little squirt, even though I am taller than he is.
That little squirt thinks he can beat everyone at chess.
The coach joked that the team's little squirt had the biggest heart.
nouncountable
A very small spray or burst of liquid, such as from a bottle.
Grammar: Often written as a little squirt of something: a little squirt of lemon juice.
Patterns
- a little squirt of something
Add a little squirt of lemon juice to the salad.
She gave the hinge a little squirt of oil.
One little squirt of soap is enough for your hands.
Word forms
| plural | little squirts |
|---|
Common combinations
- cheeky little squirt
- He was a cheeky little squirt who loved to tease his sisters.
- annoying little squirt
- The annoying little squirt kept spoiling the game.
- call someone a little squirt
- Don't call your cousin a little squirt, he'll be hurt.
- little squirt of oil
- A little squirt of oil stopped the door squeaking.
Synonyms and how they differ
- shrimp
- Shrimp is also informal and teasing about size, but it focuses on being small rather than being annoying.
- whippersnapper
- Whippersnapper is old-fashioned and suggests a young person who is too confident, not necessarily small.
- brat
- Brat is harsher and describes bad behavior, whereas little squirt can be fond or playful.
Word family
- squirt verb
- to shoot out a thin stream of liquid
- squirt noun
- a thin jet of liquid, or a small annoying person
- squirter noun
- something that squirts liquid
Practice
Which sentence uses little squirt in its informal sense about a person?
Choose one answer.
In the informal sense, a little squirt is a small or young person, often teased. The other sentences use it for objects in ways that do not make sense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “little squirt”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.