Idiom idiom
runt of the litter
Meaning
The smallest and weakest person in a group, especially a group of siblings.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“He was the runt of the litter and needed extra care.”
“Even though he was the runt of the litter, he grew up to be the strongest athlete in his family.”
“Despite being considered the runt of the litter during his childhood, he eventually surpassed his siblings in both stature and professional success.”
Anchors to
Last updated August 10, 2026