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

They are short, tall, flabby, lean, clean-shaven, bearded, bald and pony-tailed.

From New York Times

"I fall away quite a bit. I've got a tall release and angle it back into the right-hander. Maybe I bring something a little bit different."

From BBC

In one of the shaky phone videos shown in court, a tall naked man stands in the middle of a dark bedroom.

From BBC

It captures some of the inquisitive humanity that Steinmetz, a tall and direct people’s person with a John Malkovich mien, conveys in life.

From New York Times

That said, bringing a massive multiday Korean awards show to the U.S. is a tall order.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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