SMALL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does small mean? 

• SMALL (noun)
  The noun SMALL has 2 senses:

1. the slender part of the back

2. a garment size for a small person

  Familiarity information: SMALL used as a noun is rare.

• SMALL (adjective)
  The adjective SMALL has 10 senses:

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

2. relatively moderate, limited, or small

3. (of children and animals) young, immature

4. slight or limited; especially in degree or intensity or scope

5. low or inferior in station or quality

6. lowercase

7. (of a voice) faint

8. have fine or very small constituent particles

9. not large but sufficient in size or amount

10. made to seem smaller or less (especially in worth)

  Familiarity information: SMALL used as an adjective is familiar.

• SMALL (adverb)
  The adverb SMALL has 1 sense:

1. on a small scale

  Familiarity information: SMALL used as an adverb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SMALL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The slender part of the back

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Hypernyms ("small" is a kind of...):

body part (any part of an organism such as an organ or extremity)

Holonyms ("small" is a part of...):

back; dorsum (the posterior part of a human (or animal) body from the neck to the end of the spine)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A garment size for a small person

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("small" is a kind of...):

size (the property resulting from being one of a series of graduated measurements (as of clothing))

• SMALL (adjective)

Comparative: smaller   
Superlative: smallest   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

Synonyms:

little; small

Context example:

a little (or small) group

Similar:

miniature (being on a very small scale)

undersize; undersized (smaller than normal for its kind)

small-scale (created or drawn on a small scale)

smallish (rather small)

littler; smaller (small or little relative to something else)

slender; slim (small in quantity)

puny; runty; shrimpy ((used especially of persons) of inferior size)

pocket-size; pocket-sized; pocketable (small enough to be carried in a garment pocket)

olive-sized (about the size of an olive)

miniscule; minuscule (extremely small)

micro (extremely small in scale or scope or capability)

microscopic; microscopical (so small as to be invisible without a microscope)

infinitesimal; minute (infinitely or immeasurably small)

atomic (immeasurably small)

subatomic (of smaller than atomic dimensions)

bantam; diminutive; flyspeck; lilliputian; midget; petite; tiny (very small)

bittie; bitty; itsy-bitsy; itty-bitty; teensy; teensy-weensy; teentsy; teeny; teeny-weeny; wee; weensy; weeny ((used informally) very small)

dinky; insignificant (small and unimpressive)

dwarfish (atypically small)

elfin; elflike (small and delicate)

gnomish (used of small deformed creatures)

half-size (half the usual or regular size)

lesser (smaller in size or amount or value)

Attribute:

size (the physical magnitude of something (how big it is))

Antonym:

large (above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent)

Derivation:

smallness (the property of having a relatively small size)

smallness (the property of being a relatively small amount)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Relatively moderate, limited, or small

Synonyms:

minor; modest; pocket-size; pocket-sized; small; small-scale

Context example:

a pocket-size country

Similar:

limited (small in range or scope)

Derivation:

smallness (the property of having a relatively small size)

Sense 3

Meaning:

(of children and animals) young, immature

Synonyms:

little; small

Context example:

small children

Similar:

immature; young ((used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Slight or limited; especially in degree or intensity or scope

Context example:

a series of death struggles with small time in between

Similar:

little; slight ((quantifier used with mass nouns) small in quantity or degree; not much or almost none or (with 'a') at least some)

Domain usage:

archaicism; archaism (the use of an archaic expression)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Low or inferior in station or quality

Synonyms:

humble; low; lowly; modest; small

Context example:

small beginnings

Similar:

inferior (of or characteristic of low rank or importance)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Lowercase

Synonyms:

little; minuscule; small

Context example:

e.e.cummings's poetry is written all in minuscule letters

Similar:

lowercase (relating to small (not capitalized) letters that were kept in the lower half of a compositor's type case)

Sense 7

Meaning:

(of a voice) faint

Synonyms:

little; small

Context example:

a still small voice

Similar:

soft ((of sound) relatively low in volume)

Derivation:

smallness (the property of having relatively little strength or vigor)

Sense 8

Meaning:

Have fine or very small constituent particles

Context example:

a small misty rain

Similar:

fine (of textures that are smooth to the touch or substances consisting of relatively small particles)

Sense 9

Meaning:

Not large but sufficient in size or amount

Synonyms:

modest; small

Context example:

helped in my own small way

Similar:

moderate (being within reasonable or average limits; not excessive or extreme)

Derivation:

smallness (the property of being a relatively small amount)

Sense 10

Meaning:

Made to seem smaller or less (especially in worth)

Synonyms:

belittled; diminished; small

Context example:

her comments made me feel small

Similar:

decreased; reduced (made less in size or amount or degree)

• SMALL (adverb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

On a small scale

Context example:

think small

Antonym:

big (on a grand scale)

 Context examples 

“But there will not be the smallest difficulty in filling it,” he added.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

The smallest of the cytoskeletal filaments.

(Actin Filament, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

A small, cyclic pentapeptide vascular-targeting agent with potential antineoplastic and antiangiogenic activities.

(ADH-1, NCI Thesaurus)

The outer part of the adrenal gland (a small organ on top of each kidney).

(Adrenal cortex, NCI Dictionary)

The inner part of the adrenal gland (a small organ on top of each kidney).

(Adrenal medulla, NCI Dictionary)

The adrenal glands are small glands located on top of each kidney.

(Adrenal Gland Disorders, NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)

So many instances within my small circle of friends is remarkable!

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

About 1869 or 1870 he came back to Europe and took a small estate in Sussex, near Horsham.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The scales were small, making necessary many weighings, and Messner with precise care verified each weighing.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

I did not stop to see what had become of the small boat, but sprang to the jib-sheet.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)