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View synonyms for tall

tall

[ tawl ]

adjective

, tall·er, tall·est.
  1. having a relatively great height; of more than average stature: tall grass.

    a tall woman;

    tall grass.

    Antonyms: short

  2. having stature or height as specified:

    a man six feet tall.

  3. large in amount or degree; considerable:

    a tall price;

    Swinging that deal is a tall order.

  4. extravagant; difficult to believe:

    a tall tale.

  5. He engages in so much tall talk, one never really knows what he's saying.

  6. having more than usual length; long and relatively narrow:

    He carried a tall walking stick.

  7. (of a drink) consisting of liquor mixed with other ingredients and served in a large glass, as a cocktail:

    We watched as he put together a Mamie Taylor, a tall drink with Scotch, ginger beer, and lime.

  8. Tall, (of beverages at Starbucks coffee shops) being of a small size equal to 12 ounces (354 milliliters). Compare Grande ( def ), Venti ( def ).
  9. Archaic. valiant.
  10. Obsolete.
    1. seemly; proper.
    2. fine; handsome.


adverb

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

    to stand tall;

    to walk tall.

noun

  1. Tall, (at Starbucks coffee shops) a small size of beverage equal to 12 ounces (354 milliliters). Compare Grande ( def ), Venti ( def ).

tall

/ tɔːl /

adjective

  1. of more than average height
    1. postpositive having a specified height

      a woman five feet tall

    2. ( in combination )

      a twenty-foot-tall partition

  2. informal.
    exaggerated or incredible

    a tall story

  3. informal.
    difficult to accomplish

    a tall order

  4. an archaic word for excellent
“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
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Derived Forms

  • ˈtallness, noun
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Other Words From

  • tall·ness noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of tall1

First recorded before 1000; Middle English: “big, bold, comely, proper, ready,” Old English getæl (plural getale ) “quick, ready, competent”; cognate with Old High German gizal “quick”
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Word History and Origins

Origin of tall1

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

  • walk tall
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Synonym Study

See high.

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Related Words

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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