SMALL

(LACKING IMPORTANCE) [adjective] -er, -est - not having much importance or effectTalking to her makes me feel small (= unimportant and stupid).He's always trying to make me look small (= foolish and unimportant) in front of my girlfriend.It was small consolation (= not very comforting) that three of her colleagues had also lost their jobs.After five years with the company she hadn't been promoted. Small wonder (= It is not surprising) then that she decided to quit her job and become self-employed.Someone or something that is small-time has limited involvement in an activity and is therefore not very important.He's well-known to the police as a small-time crook.He built up his leisure empire from a small-time restaurant.(informal) If something is small beer or (US) small potatoes it seems unimportant when it is compared to something else.The insurance premium is small beer compared to what we'd have to pay if the house burnt down.Small fry are people or things that are not considered to be important.The police have failed to catch the leaders of the gang, although they have arrested some of the small fry.Small talk is social conversation about unimportant things, often between people who do not know each other well.I don't enjoy parties where I have to make small talk with complete strangers.The police are arresting the small-timers when they should be going for the ringleaders.