small

[ smawl ]

/ smɔl /

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See synonyms for: small / smaller / smallest / smallness on Thesaurus.com

adjective, small·er, small·est.

of limited size; of comparatively restricted dimensions; not big; little: a small box.

slender, thin, or narrow: a small waist.

not large as compared with others of the same kind: a small elephant.

(of letters) lowercase (def. 1).

not great in amount, degree, extent, duration, value, etc.: a small salary.

not great numerically: a small army.

of low numerical value; denoted by a low number.

having but little land, capital, power, influence, etc., or carrying on business or some activity on a limited scale: a small enterprise.

of minor importance, moment, weight, or consequence: a small problem.

humble, modest, or unpretentious: small circumstances.

characterized by or indicative of littleness of mind or character; mean-spirited; petty: a small, miserly man.

of little strength or force: a small effort.

(of sound or the voice) gentle; with little volume.

very young: when I was a small boy.

diluted; weak.

adverb, small·er, small·est.

in a small manner: They talked big but lived small.

into small pieces: Slice the cake small.

in low tones; softly.

noun

something that is small: Do you prefer the small or the large?

a small or narrow part, as of the back.

those who are small: Democracy benefits the great and the small.

smalls, small goods or products.

smalls, British.

underclothes.
household linen, as napkins, pillowcases, etc.

smalls, British Informal. the responsions at Oxford University.

smalls, Mining. coal, ore, gangue, etc., in fine particles.

OTHER WORDS FOR small

1 tiny.

2 slight.

9 trifling, petty, unimportant, minor, secondary, nugatory, inconsequential, paltry, insignificant.

11 small-minded, narrow-minded, mean, selfish, narrow.

12 feeble.

See synonyms for small on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR small

1 large, big.

See antonyms for small on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about small

feel small, to be ashamed or mortified: Her unselfishness made me feel small.

Origin of small

First recorded before 900; Middle English smale, Old English smæl; cognate with Dutch smal, German schmal

synonym study for small

1. See little. 1, 3, 5. Smaller, less indicate a diminution, or not so large a size or quantity in some respect. Smaller, as applied to concrete objects, is used with reference to size: smaller apples. Less is used of material in bulk, with reference to amount, and in cases where attributes such as value and degree are in question: A nickel is less than a dime (in value). A sergeant is less than a lieutenant (in rank). As an abstraction, amount may be either smaller or less, though smaller is usually used when the idea of size is suggested: a smaller opportunity. Less is used when the idea of quantity is present: less courage.

OTHER WORDS FROM small

smallness, nounul·tra·small, adjective

Words nearby small

smacker, smackeroo, smackhead, smacking, smack talk, small, small advertisement, smallage, small arm, small arms, small beer

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT SMALL

What is a basic definition of small?

Small is an adjective that describes something as little or not of large size. Small can also describe something as being low in number or amount. Small has many other senses as an adjective, adverb, and noun and is used in several idioms.

If something or someone is small, they are little or diminutive. They are physically short or take up a low amount of physical space. Small can also describe something as being less big than other similar things. For example, a pony is a small horse. The noun form of this sense of small is smallness.

Real-life examples: Chihuahuas are small dogs. Ants are small animals. A dime is a small coin.
Used in a sentence: The letters were too small to read.

Small also describes something as being low in number.

Real-life examples: A group of 100 soldiers is a very small army. A town that only has 30 people living in it has a small population.
Used in a sentence: I started my business with a small team of trusted friends.

Small can also describe something as not being of a large amount or great degree.

Used in a sentence: She won a few small bets before betting it all and winning the jackpot.

Where does small come from?

The first records of small come from before 900. It ultimately comes from the Old English smæl and is related to the Dutch smal and the German schmal.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to small?

smallness (noun)
ultrasmall (adjective)
smallish (adjective)

What are some synonyms for small?

What are some words that share a root or word element with small?

What are some words that often get used in discussing small?

How is small used in real life?

Small is a very common word used to mean something is little, low in number, or low in amount.

For the first time this year, Twitter is adding a small icon after the hashtag for the month.

A great excuse to us it… immoderately!#LGBTHM21

— LGBT+ History Month 🏳️‍🌈 (@LGBTHM) February 1, 2021

Small cats give me life. He's a beautiful boy 💕

— Nicola Fieldsend (@NFieldsend) April 9, 2021

‘Girl’ was originally a generic term for any small child, regardless of gender.

— Quite Interesting (@qikipedia) August 16, 2020

Try using small!

Is small used correctly in the following sentence?

The box was too small to hold my TV, so I had to find a bigger box.

How to use small in a sentence

According to Grady of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, well-placed donations to smaller organizations can have exponential impacts.
Can Billionaires Really Save Us from Climate Disaster?|Heather Hansman|February 12, 2021|Outside Online
Before I discard the plastic, I cut it up into tiny pieces so that small animals do not get caught in them and they don't try to eat them.
Hints From Heloise: New scam tied to coronavirus pandemic|Heloise Heloise|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
Over small plates, Renee talked about her love for food and Willie talked about his love for cooking.
Date Lab: One of our setups is still going strong two years later. We caught up with Willie and Renee for an update.|Marin Cogan|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
So please think carefully before you demote small-talky situations to a priority below your laundry piles.
Carolyn Hax: No time for small talk? That’s building a big wall.|Carolyn Hax|February 11, 2021|Washington Post

Castor addressed a small crowd from the stage before Coach Bruce Arians and General Manager Jason Licht offered enthusiastic — and colorful — comments of their own.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrate Super Bowl LV victory in boat parade|Cindy Boren, Glynn A. Hill|February 10, 2021|Washington Post
Something like fluoride, which is too small for normal filters, yanks away that feeling of agency.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
And yes, someone has already called Spencer a “Small Fry,” har har.
Freaking Out About Age Gaps in Gay Relationships Is Homophobic|Samantha Allen|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It was seen by a small delegation of star-struck prelates and dignitaries who later described the film as “moving.”
Pope Francis Has the Pleasure of Meeting Angelina Jolie for a Few Seconds|Barbie Latza Nadeau|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The judges who handle arraignments at criminal court in all five boroughs have a small fraction of their usual caseloads.
Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Inside the guild, men in caps and long gowns sit in twos, weaving together in small rooms.
The Photographer Who Gave Up Manhattan for Marrakech|Liza Foreman|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The Duchess had also a tent for their sick men; so that we had a small town of our own here, and every body employed.
The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner (1801)|Daniel Defoe
Suddenly, however, he became aware of a small black spot far ahead in the very middle of the unencumbered track.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
He is perplexed and hindered by the lack of soldiers, but is doing his best with his small forces.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
A small book, bound in full purple calf, lay half hidden in a nest of fine tissue paper on the dressing-table.
Hilda Lessways|Arnold Bennett
Before the outlaw can comply with this small request the horn sounds again.
Physiology of The Opera|John H. Swaby (AKA "Scrici")

British Dictionary definitions for small

small

/ (smɔːl) /

adjective

comparatively little; limited in size, number, importance, etc

of little importance or on a minor scalea small business

lacking in moral or mental breadth or deptha small mind

modest or humblesmall beginnings

of low or inferior status, esp socially

(of a child or animal) young; not mature

unimportant, triviala small matter

not outstandinga small actor

of, relating to, or designating the ordinary modern minuscule letter used in printing and cursive writingCompare capital 1 (def. 13) See also lower case

lacking great strength or forcea small effort

in fine particlessmall gravel

obsolete (of beer, etc) of low alcoholic strength

adverb

into small piecesyou have to cut it small

in a small or soft manner

feel small to be humiliated or inferior

noun

the small an object, person, or group considered to be smalldo you want the small or the large?

a small slender part, esp of the back

(plural) informal, mainly British items of personal laundry, such as underwear

Derived forms of small

smallish, adjectivesmallness, noun

Word Origin for small

Old English smæl; related to Old High German smal, Old Norse smali small cattle

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with small

small

In addition to the idioms beginning with small

small beer
small cog in a large wheel
small frog in a big pond
small fry
small hours
small print
small talk
small time
small wonder

also see:

big fish in a small pond
(small) cog in the wheel
give thanks for small blessings
it's a small world
little (small) frog in a big pond
make a (small) fortune
no (small) wonder
still small voice

small

OTHER WORDS FOR small

OPPOSITES FOR small

Idioms about small

Origin of small

synonym study for small

OTHER WORDS FROM small

Words nearby small

MORE ABOUT SMALL

What is a basic definition of small?

Where does small come from?

Did you know ... ?

How is small used in real life?

Try using small!

Words related to small

How to use small in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for small

Derived forms of small

Word Origin for small

Other Idioms and Phrases with small