tiny
Americanadjective
-
tinier,
comparative
-
tiniest
superlative
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of tiny
First recorded in 1590–1600; late Middle English tine “very small” + -y 1; further origin uncertain
Explanation
Tiny means very small. Atoms are tiny. Hawaii is tiny, in comparison to the continental US. If you wear a size five shoe as an adult, you could be said to have tiny feet. Throughout the world there are stories about tiny mythical heroes, such as Tom Thumb, a tiny baby, who grew into a tiny child then a man so tiny he was no larger than an average man's thumb. One of the things that people love about doll houses are seeing all the artifacts we live with day to day replicated in miniature, or tiny, form.
Vocabulary lists containing tiny
It's the Little Things: Synonyms for "Small"
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"Eleven," Vocabulary from the short story
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"Imperfect Me"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"Our ion acts like a tiny sensor that we can use to feel out the structure of the laser light," Leindecker explains.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026
"It feels like a miracle for this film with a tiny budget and a hope and a prayer, to be on the big screen."
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
"Today, we can image tiny details on the atomic scale," says Philipp Haslinger from the Institute of Atomic and Subatomic Physics at TU Wien.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026
But over the last two decades, the already tiny space for indie film has grown even smaller, being phased out by streamers — the place indies go to die — and YouTube.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
The tailor showed the five capes, five tiny capes.
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
These ultrathin materials, made from just one or a few atomic layers, have been viewed as promising candidates for building even tinier electronic devices.
From Science Daily ● May 9, 2026
“Institutional investors are a tiny share of the market, and a tinier share of the total U.S. housing market. There is not good enough evidence that institutional investors drive up home prices,” he added.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 7, 2026
The bigger issue is that U.S. automakers have tried tinier cars before, and they didn’t take off.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 13, 2025
But I think it’s Trello, a much tinier service, that tells the most concise story of how technology companies are now looking at their users.
From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2025
Other than that, all I have is a tiny microphone and an even tinier earpiece.
From "Legend" by Marie Lu
From Abidjan to Dakar and Abuja, mechanics, scrap dealers, motorcycle taxi drivers and street vendors make the most of the tiniest corner to set up their business activity.
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
So we should welcome whatever tip or trick can make the tiniest difference.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Lacunar stroke develops when the brain's tiniest blood vessels are damaged by a condition known as small vessel disease.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 3, 2026
But the tiniest silver lining of the path he’s taken means I have one more thing to help navigate accepting my voice: an example of what happens when someone retreats into fear and shame.
From Slate ● Apr. 18, 2026
Then he moved his tail the tiniest bit, and Anya released a held breath of relief.
From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
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.
