small

en
en
Change language
Translating...
Find language
العربية الفصحى
Arabic (Standard)
Español
Spanish
हिन्दी
Hindi
日本語
Japanese
Português
Portuguese
/smɔːl/
Add to My Dictionary
In My Dictionary
+1
Having little size or amount, or less of a quality than usual.
Practice using small in conversation until it feels natural

Examples

  • That is only a small problem.
  • He learned to swim when he was small.
  • It was a small mistake.
  • These socks come in small and medium.
  • Write small so it fits on the page.

Similar words

independentmodest
S
minutely
petite
minor
finely
lowercase
miniature
tiny

Meanings

Not large

adjective
size
neutral
Having little size, amount, or degree.

Examples

  • They live in a small house.
  • This cup is smaller than mine.
  • Please take a small piece of cake.
  • It was the smallest room in the hotel.
  • Only a small number of people came.

Similar words

little
tiny
miniature
compact

Small clothing size

adjective
shopping
neutral
One of the smaller standard sizes used for clothes or other goods.

Examples

  • Do you have this shirt in small?
  • I need a small jacket.
  • She bought the small size.
  • The small box costs less.
  • These socks come in small and medium.

Similar words

S
petite

Young

adjective
age
neutral
Young or not yet fully grown.

Examples

  • We have two small children.
  • I lived here when I was small.
  • A small boy opened the door.
  • She was smaller than her brother then.
  • He learned to swim when he was small.

Similar words

young
little

Minor or unimportant

adjective
importance
neutral
Having little importance or effect.

Examples

  • It was a small mistake.
  • We made a few small changes.
  • That is only a small problem.
  • She noticed the smallest detail.
  • Could you do me a small favour?

Similar words

minor
slight
trivial

Limited business scale

adjective
business
neutral
Operating with few workers, little money, or a limited number of customers.

Examples

  • She runs a small business.
  • The town has many small shops.
  • A small company made the chairs.
  • He is a small farmer.
  • We prefer buying from smaller firms.

Similar words

local
independentmodest

Lowercase

adjective
writing
neutral
Written as a lowercase rather than a capital letter.

Examples

  • Write your name with a small letter here.
  • The word starts with a small s.
  • Use a small g in this example.
  • The teacher changed the capital to a small letter.
  • Every word except the first begins with a small letter.

Similar words

lowercase

Little chance or reason

adjective
likelihood
neutral
Not much chance, hope, or reason for something.

Examples

  • There is small hope of finding it today.
  • We have small reason to celebrate yet.
  • She had only a small chance of winning.
  • They saw small possibility of rain.
  • I have small hope that he will return.

Similar words

little
slight
limited

In a small way

adverb
size
neutral
In small pieces or in a small size.

Examples

  • Cut the apples small.
  • Write small so it fits on the page.
  • Chop the onion smaller.
  • The child wrote very small.
  • Please slice the carrots small.

Similar words

finely
minutely

Etymology

From Old English smæl, of Germanic origin, related to Dutch smal and German schmal.

FAQ

What does small mean?

It most often means little in physical size or amount.

What are the comparison forms of small?

They are smaller and smallest.

Can small mean young?

Yes. A small child is a young child.

What is a small business?

A business with a limited scale, such as few workers or customers.

What is a small letter?

It is a lowercase letter, not a capital letter.

Can small describe importance?

Yes. A small problem or change has limited effect.

Comments & contributions

Know this word from another angle? Add a correction, a nuance, or a usage note. New posts go public after a quick review.
Posting as a guest · Sign in
No comments yet. Be the first to add one.
Look up word or phrase...