Lilliputian

[ lil-i-pyoo-shuhn ]

adjective

1. extremely small; tiny; diminutive.
2. petty; trivial:

   Our worries are Lilliputian when compared with those of people whose nations are at war.

noun

1. an inhabitant of Lilliput.
2. a very small person.
3. a person who is narrow or petty in outlook.

Lilliputian

/ ˌlɪlɪˈpjuːʃɪən /

noun

1. a tiny person or being

adjective

1. tiny; very small
2. petty or trivial

Word History and Origins

Origin of Lilliputian¹

First recorded in 1726; Lilliput + -ian

Word History and Origins

Origin of Lilliputian¹

C18: from Lilliput, an imaginary country of tiny inhabitants in Swift's Gulliver's Travels (1726)

Example Sentences

The visual goal, she reminded us: “It’s about being in Lilliputian land — about making your trough believable, a miniature landscape.”

From Seattle Times

Rather, he will go down in history as the leader who broke his country: Vladimir the Lilliputian.

From Seattle Times

Any defenses we’ve built in will be undone, like Gulliver throwing off the tiny strands the Lilliputians used to try and restrain him.

From Scientific American

Purdue, like Virginia, saw its plan and offense undergo a gathering disintegration as the Lilliputian opponent kept gathering mustard.

From Washington Post

Crab Louie, created with seafood from the Chesapeake and sauced with what tastes like Thousand Island dressing, is stuffed into fragile, Lilliputian cones with creamy avocado mousse.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• diminutive
• tiny