What does totty mean?
Totty is an informal, chiefly British word that most often appears as an adjective meaning very small. Descriptions such as “a totty little girl” can be affectionate, although the word may sound faintly patronizing when applied to an adult or to something trivial. Its second adjectival sense, “insignificant” or “of little importance,” is dismissive and is especially associated with older speech and writing. As a noun, totty means a very small person, typically a child; this use is now dated and mainly literary or nostalgic. The word is useful because it combines literal smallness with the related idea of something seeming too minor to matter. It is not the standard modern synonym for small: “tiny,” “little,” and “diminutive” are more neutral, while “totty” has a distinctly British, conversational flavor.
Very small; tiny. It can also mean insignificant or of little importance.
"The old house had a totty little garden behind it."
Informal and chiefly British; often affectionate for something small, but dismissive when meaning insignificant.
A small child or tiny person.
"The story’s totty was small enough to hide beneath the table."
This noun is dated and is now chiefly found in nostalgic or literary contexts.
The regular plural of the dated informal noun for a small child; it is rarely needed in modern usage.
"The totties gathered around the storyteller."
Born from tot, an old word for a small child, totty preserves the sound of childhood in a very British, very small package.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does totty come from?
Totty developed from the earlier English noun tot, meaning a small child, through the diminutive suffix -y. Tot is generally thought to have been a pet form of the name Thomas, although that derivation is not certain. The word is attested from the late 16th century and developed meanings corresponding to “very small,” “a small child,” and “insignificant.”
Related word forms
How totty is actually used
The word is informal and chiefly British. It can be affectionate when describing a child or small object, but it may sound patronizing when applied to an adult and dismissive when it means insignificant. The noun is dated and now mainly appears in nostalgic or literary contexts.
Easily confused with totty
A toddler is specifically a young child learning to walk, whereas a totty is simply a very small child and does not imply a particular age or stage of development.