small
Americanadjective
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smaller,
comparative
-
smallest
superlative
-
of limited size; of comparatively restricted dimensions; not big; little.
a small box.
- Synonyms:
- tiny
-
slender, thin, or narrow.
a small waist.
- Synonyms:
- slight
-
not large as compared with others of the same kind.
a small elephant.
-
(of letters) lowercase.
-
not great in amount, degree, extent, duration, value, etc..
a small salary.
-
not great numerically.
a small army.
-
of low numerical value; denoted by a low number.
-
having but little land, capital, power, influence, etc., or carrying on business or some activity on a limited scale.
a small enterprise.
-
of minor importance, moment, weight, or consequence.
a small problem.
- Synonyms:
- insignificant, paltry, inconsequential, nugatory, secondary, minor, unimportant, petty, trifling
-
humble, modest, or unpretentious.
small circumstances.
-
characterized by or indicative of littleness of mind or character; mean-spirited; petty.
a small, miserly man.
- Synonyms:
- narrow, selfish, mean, narrow-minded, small-minded
-
of little strength or force.
a small effort.
- Synonyms:
- feeble
-
(of sound or the voice) gentle; with little volume.
-
very young.
when I was a small boy.
-
diluted; weak.
adverb
-
in a small manner.
They talked big but lived small.
-
into small pieces.
Slice the cake small.
-
in low tones; softly.
noun
-
something that is small.
Do you prefer the small or the large?
-
a small or narrow part, as of the back.
-
those who are small.
Democracy benefits the great and the small.
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smalls, small goods or products.
-
British. smalls,
-
household linen, as napkins, pillowcases, etc.
-
British Informal. smalls, the responsions at Oxford University.
-
Mining. smalls, coal, ore, gangue, etc., in fine particles.
idioms
adjective
-
comparatively little; limited in size, number, importance, etc
-
of little importance or on a minor scale
a small business
-
lacking in moral or mental breadth or depth
a small mind
-
modest or humble
small beginnings
-
of low or inferior status, esp socially
-
(of a child or animal) young; not mature
-
unimportant, trivial
a small matter
-
not outstanding
a small actor
-
of, relating to, or designating the ordinary modern minuscule letter used in printing and cursive writing Compare capital 1 See also lower case
-
lacking great strength or force
a small effort
-
in fine particles
small gravel
-
obsolete (of beer, etc) of low alcoholic strength
adverb
-
into small pieces
you have to cut it small
-
in a small or soft manner
-
to be humiliated or inferior
noun
-
an object, person, or group considered to be small
do you want the small or the large?
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a small slender part, esp of the back
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informal (plural) items of personal laundry, such as underwear
Usage
What is a basic definition of small? Small is an adjective that describes something as little or not of large size. Small can also describe something as being low in number or amount. Small has many other senses as an adjective, adverb, and noun and is used in several idioms. If something or someone is small, they are little or diminutive. They are physically short or take up a low amount of physical space. Small can also describe something as being less big than other similar things. For example, a pony is a small horse. The noun form of this sense of small is smallness.
- Real-life examples: Chihuahuas are small dogs. Ants are small animals. A dime is a small coin.
- Used in a sentence: The letters were too small to read.
- Real-life examples: A group of 100 soldiers is a very small army. A town that only has 30 people living in it has a small population.
- Used in a sentence: I started my business with a small team of trusted friends.
- Used in a sentence: She won a few small bets before betting it all and winning the jackpot.
Synonym Usage
See little. Smaller, less indicate a diminution, or not so large a size or quantity in some respect. Smaller, as applied to concrete objects, is used with reference to size: smaller apples. Less is used of material in bulk, with reference to amount, and in cases where attributes such as value and degree are in question: A nickel is less than a dime (in value). A sergeant is less than a lieutenant (in rank). As an abstraction, amount may be either smaller or less, though smaller is usually used when the idea of size is suggested: a smaller opportunity. Less is used when the idea of quantity is present: less courage.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of small
First recorded before 900; Middle English smale, Old English smæl; cognate with Dutch smal, German schmal
Explanation
Things that are small are little. Children, lower-case letters, lady bugs, and thumb tacks are all small. This is a comparative word for things that are tiny. A size small shirt won't fit a big person. If you ask for a small favor, it had better not be a big deal. When someone makes you feel small, that's not a physical thing: it means they made you feel bad, like less of a person. A Yorkie is a small dog, but it's not small compared to a mouse. Everything is small (and large) compared to something else.
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:
But for all the ballyhoo, the number of people who actually follow through with a Roth conversion is small compared with the number who hold money in tax-deferred accounts.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026
Preliminary data suggest GLP-1s aren’t likely to show up in breast milk: A small study found no semaglutide—the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy—in human milk at 0, 12 or 24 hours after administration.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
AFP journalists at the scene saw the building had been reduced to a pile of rubble as a small number of search and rescue teams arrived on the scene.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
Researchers noted that even relatively small differences in the rate of decline might become more significant when they accumulate over several years.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026
Father knots the broken sack, lifts the small packet of lard and the one good egg left.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Initially a much smaller oil leak could be seen emerging from the ship on 19 October.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
The partnership pledged to open 2,000 new outlets, including many in smaller Chinese cities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
As photonic technology becomes smaller and more advanced, the convolutional spectrometer provides a promising example of how mathematical insights and practical engineering can make sophisticated scientific instruments simpler, cheaper, and more accessible.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026
My stepmother now wants to sell and move somewhere smaller.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026
Nim, feeling smaller than the limpets she’d eaten for lunch, crawled up beside her.
From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr
Indeed, it would be the smallest budget gap among members of the Group of Seven advanced economies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
“Activities where the smallest increment of speed would make a difference,” she says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026
Up until the end of last season, the smallest variation of the game that served as an introduction to football for children under the age of seven was 5v5.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
Even the smallest improvements in optical precision could help Roman capture clearer images during its sweeping surveys of the cosmos.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026
He even imagines a local doctor dissecting the chigger, the smallest creature visible to the human eye—and thus of course impossible to dissect.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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