small
[ smawl ]
/ smɔl /
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adjective, small·er, small·est.
adverb, small·er, small·est.
noun
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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, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use small in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for small
small
/ (smɔːl) /
adjective
adverb
noun
Derived forms of small
smallish, adjectivesmallness, nounWord 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
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Other Idioms and Phrases with small
small
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.