definitions

tall

[ tawl ]
/ tɔl /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tall ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, tall·er, tall·est.

adverb

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

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RELATED WORDS

great, lanky, big, rangy, soaring, towering, hard, steep, giant, elevated, beanstalk, impossible, absurd, alpine, lofty, sizable, statuesque, lank, sky-high, altitudinous

Nearby words

talking picture, talking point, talking shop, talking-to, talky, tall, tall blacks, tall buttercup, tall drink, tall meadow rue, tall oil

Origin of tall

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

Related forms

tall·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tall

British Dictionary definitions for tall

tall

/ (tɔːl) /

adjective

of more than average height
  1. (postpositive) having a specified heighta woman five feet tall
  2. (in combination)a twenty-foot-tall partition
informal exaggerated or incrediblea tall story
informal difficult to accomplisha tall order
an archaic word for excellent

Derived Forms

tallness, noun

Word Origin for tall

C14 (in the sense: big, comely, valiant); related to Old English getæl prompt, Old High German gizal quick, Gothic untals foolish
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

Idioms and Phrases with tall

tall

In addition to the idioms beginning with tall

  • tall order
  • tall tale

also see:

  • walk tall
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.