Lilliputian

American  

[lil-i-pyoo-shuhn] / ˌlɪl ɪˈpyu ʃən /

adjective

1. extremely small; tiny; diminutive.

2. petty; trivial.

   Our worries are Lilliputian when compared with those of people whose nations are at war.

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noun

1. an inhabitant of Lilliput.

2. a very small person.

3. a person who is narrow or petty in outlook.

Lilliputian British  

/ ˌlɪlɪˈpjuːʃɪən /

noun

1. a tiny person or being

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adjective

1. tiny; very small

2. petty or trivial

Etymology

Origin of Lilliputian

First recorded in 1726; Lilliput + -ian

Example Sentences

Nearby are additional puzzling landscapes in which other Lilliputian figures, at times the scale of insects, feel overwhelmed by outsize vegetation.

From The Wall Street Journal

The visual goal, she reminded us: “It’s about being in Lilliputian land — about making your trough believable, a miniature landscape.”

From Seattle Times

Any defenses we’ve built in will be undone, like Gulliver throwing off the tiny strands the Lilliputians used to try and restrain him.

From Scientific American

Purdue, like Virginia, saw its plan and offense undergo a gathering disintegration as the Lilliputian opponent kept gathering mustard.

From Washington Post

Crab Louie, created with seafood from the Chesapeake and sauced with what tastes like Thousand Island dressing, is stuffed into fragile, Lilliputian cones with creamy avocado mousse.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• diminutive
• tiny