Definition of small in English:
small
See synonyms for smallTranslate small into Spanish
adjective
1Of a size that is less than normal or usual.
‘the room was small and quiet’- ‘the small hill that sheltered the house’
little, small-scale, compact, bijoushort, little, slight, slightly built, small-boned, petite, diminutive, elfin, tinyinadequate, meagre, insufficient, ungenerous, not enoughView synonyms- 1.1Not great in amount, number, strength, or power.
- ‘a rather small amount of money’
- 1.2Not fully grown or developed; young.
- ‘as a small boy, he spent his days either reading or watching TV’
young, younger, junior, small, baby, infant, minorView synonyms - 1.3(of a voice) lacking strength and confidence.
- ‘“I'm scared,” she said in a small voice’
- 1.4Used as the first letter of a word that has both a general and a specific use to show that in this case the general use is intended.
- ‘I meant “catholic” with a small c’
2Insignificant; unimportant.
- ‘these are small points’
slight, minor, unimportant, trifling, trivial, insignificant, inconsequential, inappreciable, inconsiderable, negligible, nugatory, paltry, infinitesimalView synonyms- 2.1attributive Little; hardly any.
- ‘the captain had been paying small attention’
- 2.2(of a business or its owner) operating on a modest scale.
- ‘a small farmer’
small-scale, small-timeView synonyms - 2.3 archaic Low or inferior in rank or position; socially undistinguished.
- ‘at dinner, some of the smaller neighbors were invited’
Pronunciation
plural noun
smalls1British informal Small items of clothing, especially underwear.
2West Indian treated as singular A gratuity or small gift of money.
gratuity, baksheesh, bonus, little extra, bit extra, present, gift, reward, inducementView synonyms
Pronunciation
adverb
1Into small pieces.
- ‘cut the okra up small’
- 1.1In a small size.
- ‘you shouldn't write so small’
Pronunciation
Phrases
- feel small
Feel humiliated, stupid, or insignificant.
- ‘they had succeeded in making him feel small’
On a small scale.
- ‘in a small way his life has been improved’
Used to express surprise at meeting an acquaintance or discovering a personal connection in a distant place or an unexpected context.
Appear stupid or insignificant.
- ‘saying something like that just reflects badly on him and makes him look small’
A good deal of —
- ‘a matter of no small consequence’
Used, especially in environmentalism, to express the belief that something small-scale is better than a large-scale equivalent.
Origin
The title of a book by E. F. Schumacher (1973).
Something insignificant or unimportant.
- ‘her business was small potatoes’
The policy of a cheap store which relies on low prices and a large turnover.
Not very surprising.
- ‘it's small wonder that her emotions had seesawed’
The part of a person's back where the spine curves in at the level of the waist.
Television as a medium.
- ‘his own career as an actor began on the small screen’
informal
Origin
Old English smæl, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch smal and German schmal.