dwarf
Americannoun
-
dwarves,
plural
-
dwarfs
plural
-
a person of abnormally small physical stature resulting from a medical or genetic condition, especially a person with achondroplasia or some other disease that produces disproportion or deformation of features and limbs.
-
an animal or plant much smaller than the average of its kind or species.
- Synonyms:
- runt
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(in folklore) a being in the form of a small, often misshapen man, usually having magic powers.
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Astronomy. dwarf star.
adjective
verb (used with object)
-
dwarfs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dwarfed,
past participle, past
-
dwarfing
present participle
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to cause to appear or seem small in size, extent, character, etc., as by being much larger or better.
He dwarfed all his rivals in athletic ability.
-
to make dwarf or dwarfish; prevent the due development of.
verb (used without object)
-
dwarfs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dwarfed,
past participle, past
-
dwarfing
present participle
noun
-
an abnormally undersized person, esp one with a large head and short arms and legs Compare midget
-
-
an animal or plant much below the average height for the species
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( as modifier )
a dwarf tree
-
-
(in folklore) a small ugly manlike creature, often possessing magical powers
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astronomy short for dwarf star
verb
-
to become or cause to become comparatively small in size, importance, etc
-
(tr) to stunt the growth of
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An abnormally small person, often having limbs and features atypically proportioned or formed.
-
An atypically small animal or plant.
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A dwarf star or dwarf galaxy.
Sensitive Note
Is it OK to say dwarf? See midget.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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dwarfishnessnoun
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dwarfnessnoun
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dwarfishadjective
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dwarflikeadjective
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undwarfedadjective
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dwarfishlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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dwarfsimple
-
dwarfssimple
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have dwarfedperfect
-
has dwarfedperfect
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am dwarfingprogressive
-
are dwarfingprogressive
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is dwarfingprogressive
-
have been dwarfingperfect progressive
-
has been dwarfingperfect progressive
Past
-
dwarfedsimple
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had dwarfedperfect
-
was dwarfingprogressive
-
were dwarfingprogressive
-
had been dwarfingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of dwarf
First recorded before 900; Middle English dwerf, Old English dweorh; replacing Middle English dwerg, Old English dweorg; cognate with Old High German twerg, Old Norse dvergr
Explanation
An unusually short, small person is sometimes called a dwarf. There are many different genetic medical conditions that can cause a person to be classified as a little person or a dwarf. Some people are offended by dwarf, preferring to be called "little people," "LP," or "people of short stature." The general condition that leads to delayed growth is called "dwarfism." The noun dwarf is also used for an unusually small animal or plant, or as a verb meaning "make something seem very small," as when a new apartment building dwarfs the surrounding houses. The Old English root dweorg referred to a tiny creature from German mythology.
Vocabulary lists containing dwarf
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.
See Examples For:
Even more remarkably, the researchers identified three recurring weather states that appear and disappear from view as the brown dwarf rotates.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026
Whether spreading pigment across the desert floor, choreographing participants into a living drawing or appearing in her own films, Albuquerque brings a human presence into environments whose scale can dwarf it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
As the brown dwarf moves through its 87-minute orbit, the hotspot repeatedly rotates into and out of the observer's view.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2026
Because this white dwarf formed relatively recently, it remains extremely hot.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 9, 2026
I settled into his pillow, my head next to his, and we watched his African dwarf frog swim back and forth from the bottom to the top of the tank.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
Because brown dwarfs can often be observed directly, they give scientists an opportunity to study atmospheric processes that are much harder to investigate on most exoplanets.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026
A new superpower is about to enter the fray, one that is unknowable and unending and potentially dwarfs the U.S. and China individually or collectively.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
That his residency now dwarfs, in sheer scale, the fight-night masculinity the same building helped crown is not a coincidence I am willing to let pass quietly.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
“The issue with the U.S. is that the size of the Treasury market dwarfs the combined size of the Japanese, U.K., E.U. and other countries in Asia.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
Looking closer, Taran saw not all were dwarfs; some were tall, slender, with white robes; others were covered with glistening scales, like fish; still others fluttered large, delicate wings.
From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander
Named Erebor, after the mountain where the dwarves stored their treasure and which the dragon took over in J.R.R Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” that new bank won a preliminary regulatory approval Wednesday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2025
In his estimation, it may be enough that it exists to contradict future generations' misguided aggressors from claiming his heroes – elves, dwarves and men led by Aragorn, son of Arathorn, represented them.
From Salon ● Dec. 18, 2023
There's also a debate over the fate of the seven dwarves, after unofficial images emerged of what have now been billed as seven "magical creatures".
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2023
Its £169,950 asking price dwarves the £200 her parents paid for it.
From BBC ● Mar. 21, 2023
Only on the Road would travellers be found, most often dwarves, hurrying along on business of their own, and with no help and few words to spare for strangers.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Last summer their gross transfer spend was £71m which was dwarfed by Manchester, City, Chelsea and Arsenal who were all over £200m while Wolves, who finished bottom last season, were £109m.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
But what they found during their searches in 2025 dwarfed their earlier discoveries.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Many people have dwarfed my success a hundred- or thousandfold.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Tuesday, for example, saw roughly $280 million of turnover in the U.S. but this was dwarfed by Wednesday’s volume in Korea where around $8.5 billion of shares changed hands.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026
We lie silently under outer space, taking in all those pinpricks of light, and I too feel dwarfed by the massive universe.
From "Boy21" by Matthew Quick
The Dodgers also have the highest luxury tax payroll at $430 million, dwarfing the Mets’ $363 million number.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
The old computer-software index showed prices rising at a record 17% yearly pace, dwarfing any prior increase.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
A successful debut could make him history's first trillionaire, dwarfing other billionaires in the sheer size of his fortune.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
Middleton has spent more than $16 million of his own money on the race so far, dwarfing any of his previous political spending many times over.
From Salon ● May 23, 2026
Looking ahead one sees it broaden, rising and curving slowly, dwarfing the dark ridges of earth, meeting the ice-wall far above under veils of cloud and smoke and snow.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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