Meaning of small in English

1. Pronunciation

   /smɔl/

   US accent

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   UK accent

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1. Classifying Adjective

   small

   Definitions

   1. limited in size or scope

   Examples

   • « a small business »
   • « a newspaper with a modest circulation »
   • « small-scale plans »
   • « a pocket-size country »

   Synonyms

   • limited
2. 2. low or inferior in station or quality

   Examples

   • « a humble cottage »
   • « a lowly parish priest »
   • « a modest man of the people »
   • « small beginnings »

   Synonyms

   • inferior
3. 3. not fully grown

   Examples

   • « what a big little boy you are »
   • « small children »

   Synonyms

   • young
   • immature
4. 4. not large but sufficient in size or amount

   Examples

   • « a modest salary »
   • « modest inflation »
   • « helped in my own small way »

   Synonyms

   • moderate
5. 5. (of a voice) faint

   Examples

   • « a little voice »
   • « a still small voice »

   Synonyms

   • soft
6. 6. made to seem smaller or less (especially in worth)

   Examples

   • « her comments made me feel small »

   Synonyms

   • decreased
   • reduced
7. 7. lowercase

   Examples

   • « little a »
   • « small a »
   • « e.e.cummings's poetry is written all in minuscule letters »

   Synonyms

   • lowercase
8. 8. have fine or very small constituent particles

   Examples

   • « a small misty rain »

   Synonyms

   • fine

9. Adverb

   small

   Definitions

   1. on a small scale

   Examples

   • « think small »

   Antonyms

   • big

10. Noun

    small

    Definitions

    1. the slender part of the back
11. 2. a garment size for a small person

12. Qualitative Adjective

    small

    Etymology

    Old English smæl, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch smal and German schmal

    Definitions

    1. limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

    Examples

    • « a little dining room »
    • « a little house »
    • « a small car »
    • « a little (or small) group »
    • « a small voice »

    Synonyms

    • bantam
    • diminutive
    • lilliputian
    • midget
    • petite
    • tiny
    • flyspeck
    • bitty
    • bittie
    • teensy
    • teentsy
    • teeny
    • wee
    • weeny
    • weensy
    • teensy-weensy
    • teeny-weeny
    • itty-bitty
    • itsy-bitsy
    • dinky
    • dwarfish
    • elfin
    • elflike
    • gnomish
    • half-size
    • infinitesimal
    • minute
    • microscopic
    • least
    • littlest
    • smallest
    • lesser
    • micro
    • miniature
    • minuscule
    • miniscule
    • pocket-size
    • pocket-sized
    • pocketable
    • puny
    • runty
    • shrimpy
    • slender
    • slim
    • smaller
    • littler
    • smallish
    • small-scale
    • undersize
    • undersized

    Antonyms

    • large
    • big
    • large
    • big
13. 2. too small to be seen except under a microscope

    Synonyms

    • atomic
    • atomlike
    • minute
    • subatomic
    • subgross

    Antonyms

    • macroscopic
    • macroscopical
    • large