tall

American  

[tawl] / tɔl /

adjective

taller, tallest

1. having a relatively great height; of more than average stature: tall grass.

   a tall woman;

   tall grass.

   Antonyms:

   short

2. having stature or height as specified.

   a man six feet tall.

3. large in amount or degree; considerable.

   a tall price;

   Swinging that deal is a tall order.

4. extravagant; difficult to believe.

   a tall tale.

5. high-flown; grandiloquent.

   He engages in so much tall talk, one never really knows what he's saying.

6. having more than usual length; long and relatively narrow.

   He carried a tall walking stick.

7. (of a drink) consisting of liquor mixed with other ingredients and served in a large glass, as a cocktail.

   We watched as he put together a Mamie Taylor, a tall drink with Scotch, ginger beer, and lime.

8. Tall, (of beverages at Starbucks coffee shops) being of a small size equal to 12 ounces (354 milliliters).

9. Archaic. valiant.

10. Obsolete.

    1. seemly; proper.

    2. fine; handsome.

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adverb

1. in a proud, confident, or erect manner: to walk tall.

   to stand tall;

   to walk tall.

noun

1. Tall, (at Starbucks coffee shops) a small size of beverage equal to 12 ounces (354 milliliters).

tall British  

/ tɔːl /

adjective

1. of more than average height

2. 1. (postpositive) having a specified height

      a woman five feet tall

   2. ( in combination )

      a twenty-foot-tall partition

3. informal exaggerated or incredible

   a tall story

4. informal difficult to accomplish

   a tall order

5. an archaic word for excellent

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tall Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing tall

• walk tall

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Related Words

See high.

Other Word Forms

• tallness noun

Etymology

Origin of tall

First recorded before 1000; Middle English: “big, bold, comely, proper, ready,” Old English getæl (plural getale ) “quick, ready, competent”; cognate with Old High German gizal “quick”

Example Sentences

Surveillance footage collected from homes near Brown University before and after the shooting showed a man between 5 feet 7 inches and 5 feet 9 inches tall with a “distinct walking gait.”

From The Wall Street Journal

But it had a crucial feature—adjustability—that made it possible for me to use it even though I’m nearly a foot taller than she is.

From The Wall Street Journal

The club’s first concert was Labor Day weekend in 1996 under the original name of Public Storage Coffee Lounge, with a stage that at the time was only 1 foot tall.

From Los Angeles Times

The 19-year-old Canadian had become the tallest player to play on a college court when he made his first appearance last month.

From BBC

It said transmission lines posed a lower threat because they were taller and had wires more widely spaced.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• big
• great
• lanky
• rangy
• soaring
• towering