tiny

[ tahy-nee ]

adjective

, ti·ni·er, ti·ni·est.

1. very small; minute; wee.

   Synonyms: teeny, diminutive, little

tiny

/ ˈtaɪnɪ /

adjective

1. very small; minute

Derived Forms

• ˈtinily, adverb
• ˈtininess, noun

Other Words From

• tini·ly adverb
• tini·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of tiny¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; late Middle English tine “very small” + -y ¹; further origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of tiny¹

C16 tine, of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

Thinning and prescribed burns both generally cover around tens of thousands of acres per year, a tiny fraction of what the Little Hoover Commission recommended.

From MIT Technology Review

Kurtz and Franz found that tiny crustaceans called copepods got better at warding off parasitic tapeworm larvae with repeated exposure — but the results were inconsistent.

From Quanta Magazine

These tiny marine snails, or thecosomes, migrate up to surface waters at night to feed and sink to deeper waters during the day to hide from predators.

From Science News

Every time you rip those muscles, tiny bone molecules build up.

From Science News For Students

However on the publisher side, it seems we’re looking at an even higher concentration of ad spending with a tiny number of companies.

From Search Engine Land

Mr. Bachner found it by wandering through the market and identified a craftsmen here who works in a tiny booth.

From The Daily Beast

It was in a tiny dark overheated little bar called Niagara, and three women read before me, younger and one not so much younger.

From The Daily Beast

Twin girls, Greta and Grace, run around the floor in circles, wearing pink playsuits with tiny pink wings attached.

From The Daily Beast

Bob Cratchit, the clerk who is the father of Tiny Tim and who meekly serves Scrooge, is paid fifteen shillings a week.

From The Daily Beast

Civilians left flowers as well as a tiny frosted Christmas tree that had two red ornaments.

From The Daily Beast

He thrust his tiny tuft of beard between his teeth—a trick he had when perplexed or thoughtful.

From Project Gutenberg

The tiny frown reappeared between her eyes, lingered a trifle longer than before, and vanished.

From Project Gutenberg

The sudden pall of darkness in this strange house of mystery was just a tiny bit awesome.

From Project Gutenberg

This tiny person spent little or none of his time in the tree-tops, but chose to stay near the ground.

From Project Gutenberg

One of the first out-goings of admiration towards form is the child's praise of "tiny" things.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• insignificant
• microscopic
• miniature
• minuscule
• minute
• puny
• slight
• small
• teeny
• wee