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. high-flown; grandiloquent:

   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
2. 1. postpositive having a specified height

      a woman five feet tall

   2. ( in combination )

      a twenty-foot-tall partition

3. informal.
   exaggerated or incredible

   a tall story

4. informal.
   difficult to accomplish

   a tall order

5. an archaic word for excellent

Derived Forms

• ˈtallness, noun

Other Words From

• tall·ness noun

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”

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

Idioms and Phrases

• walk tall

Synonym Study

See high.

Example Sentences

The high-relief altar front of gilded copper figures with enameled halos, 7 feet wide and nearly 3 feet tall, powerfully articulates the apostles.

From Los Angeles Times

"I'll never forget the day I was too tall, too short, too Black and not Black enough, all in one day."

From Salon

Standing at more than 6ft tall, many people referred to him as ‘Big Ken’ but he did not speak down to the audience, he spoke in their language and was respected for that.

From BBC

The nearly 400-foot tall structure — which features the Starship spacecraft stacked on top of a Super Heavy booster — lifted off flawlessly at 2 p.m.

From Los Angeles Times

Nima climbed Mount Everest, the world’s tallest mountain, earlier this year.

From NewsForKids.net

Related Words

• big
• great
• lanky
• rangy
• soaring
• towering