INDEX:
1. small in size
2. extremely small in size
3. small numbers/amounts
4. small and not making much difference to something
5. rooms, houses etc that are too small
6. to become smaller in size
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ BIG
see also
↑ SHORT
↑ FEW/NOT MANY
↑ LESS
↑ NARROW
↑ THIN
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1. small in size
▷ small /smɔːl/ [adjective]
▪ His office was a small room at the top of the building.
▪ Which is the smallest state in the US?
▪ Mrs Newman was small and slightly plump, with a round face.
▪ People are buying smaller cars because they are cheaper to run.
▪ These shoes are too small for me.
▷ little /ˈlɪtl/ [adjective only before noun]
small - use this especially to show how you feel about someone or something, for example to show that you like them, dislike them, or feel sorry for them :
▪ It’s just a little souvenir I brought back from Italy
▪ What an annoying little boy!
▪ Oh, the poor little thing, he’s hurt his paw.
▪ What a lovely little dog!
▪ They bought a nice little house near the beach.
▷ compact /kəmˈpækt, ˈkɒmpæktǁkəmˈpækt/ [adjective]
a house, room etc that is compact is small but comfortable and convenient, because the space has been used effectively; a compact camera, computer etc is designed to be small and easy to carry :
▪ The apartment was ideal for the two of us - small but compact.
▪ There is a compact dining area, which feels cozy rather than cramped.
▪ The PowerShot is a compact unit that weighs less than 11 ounces and fits easily in your pocket.
▷ pocket /ˈpɒkɪt, ˈpɒkətǁˈpɑː-/ [adjective only before noun]
pocket calculator/torch/camera etc
one that is small and that you can carry easily, for example in your pocket or bag :
▪ Students are allowed to take pocket calculators into their exams.
▪ She took a pocket mirror out of her handbag and put on some lipstick.
▪ a pocket dictionary
▷ dainty /ˈdeɪnti/ [adjective]
an object that is dainty is small and delicate in an attractive way :
▪ We drank Turkish coffee out of dainty china cups.
▪ She was wearing a short black dress and dainty black sandals.
2. extremely small in size
▷ tiny /ˈtaɪni/ [adjective]
▪ Have you seen Vic’s apartment? It’s tiny.
▪ Luke put out his hand and touched the tiny fingers of his baby daughter.
▪ a tiny village in the mountains
tiny little
▪ The box was full of tiny little blue and white beads.
▷ minute /maɪˈnjuːtǁ-ˈnuːt/ [adjective]
extremely small and difficult to see :
▪ Police found minute traces of blood on the car seats.
▪ Her writing’s so minute that it’s difficult to read.
▪ The problem was caused by minute particles of dust getting in the disk drive.
▷ minuscule /ˈmɪnɪskjuːl, ˈmɪnəskjuːl/ [adjective]
a lot smaller than usual, especially in a way that seems surprising :
▪ Compared to its adult size, a new-born kangaroo is minuscule.
▪ The pool was surrounded by bronzed girls wearing minuscule bikinis.
▷ microscopic /ˌmaɪkrəˈskɒpɪk◂ǁ-ˈskɑː-/ [adjective]
an object or living creature that is microscopic is so small that it is difficult or impossible to see without using special equipment :
▪ The skin is covered with microscopic hairs, invisible to the naked eye.
▪ A primitive form of microscopic life may have existed on Mars billions of years ago.
▪ Many of these organisms are microscopic in size.
▷ miniature /ˈmɪnɪtʃəʳ, ˈmɪnətʃəʳǁˈmɪniə-/ [adjective usually before noun]
very small, but made just like something of normal size :
▪ Next to the beach there’s a miniature railway.
▪ The locket contained a miniature portrait of her late husband.
▪ a miniature TV with a 2 inch screen
3. small numbers/amounts
▷ small /smɔːl/ [adjective]
▪ There wasn’t really much I could buy with such a small amount.
▪ Only a small number of people eventually turned up.
▪ The level of radiation in the atmosphere is really very small.
▷ low /ləʊ/ [adjective]
low
prices, wages, levels etc are less than usual or less than they should be :
▪ It’s a good time to buy a computer, because prices are low.
▪ Farm workers are complaining about long hours and low wages.
▪ Low interest rates mean good news for home owners.
▷ tiny /ˈtaɪni/ [adjective]
a tiny number or amount is extremely small :
▪ Only a tiny fraction of our profit comes from book sales.
▪ You only need to use a tiny amount of salt.
▪ The proportion of babies that suffer from the disease is tiny.
a tiny majority
a very small number of a much larger group
▪ Millions of people buy lottery tickets, but only a tiny majority ever win anything.
▷ minute /maɪˈnjuːtǁ-ˈnuːt/ [adjective]
a minute amount is extremely small, and is often so small that it makes very little difference to something :
▪ Only minute amounts of the chemical were found in the water supply.
▪ The substance is so toxic that even a minute dose of it could be fatal.
4. small and not making much difference to something
▷ small /smɔːl/ [adjective]
▪ I want to make a few small changes to the design.
▪ There is still one small problem that we haven’t dealt with.
▪ Government statistics showed a small drop in the annual rate of inflation.
▷ slight /slaɪt/ [adjective usually before noun]
small and not very important or not very noticeable :
▪ There has been a slight change of plan.
▪ The doctor says there has been a slight improvement in her condition.
▪ He was a good friend - always available to help at the slightest sign of need.
not the slightest
none at all
▪ Tom? I haven’t the slightest idea where he is.
▪ US foreign policy at the time hadn’t made the slightest difference in the situation.
▷ minor /ˈmaɪnəʳ/ [adjective only before noun]
not important enough or serious enough to worry about :
▪ She fell off her horse, but suffered only minor injuries.
▪ The contract seems fine, except for a few minor details.
▪ With one or two minor changes, the course is the same as last year.
▷ infinitesimal /ˌɪnfɪnɪˈtesəm ə l◂, ˌɪnfɪnəˈtesəm ə l◂/ [adjective]
an infinitesimal amount, risk etc is so small that it makes very little difference or is not worth worrying about :
▪ Even an infinitesimal change in temperature will be recorded by the equipment.
▪ I’d say the chances of your catching the disease are infinitesimal.
infinitesimally [adverb]
▪ The eggs of the lice are infinitesimally small and very easy to miss.
▷ tiny /ˈtaɪni/ [adjective]
extremely small :
▪ I’ve made one or two tiny alterations, but otherwise the house is the same as when I bought it.
▪ There’s been a tiny decrease in the number of people out of work.
▷ minute /maɪˈnjuːtǁ-ˈnuːt/ [adjective]
a change or difference that is minute is so small that it is difficult to see it or notice any effects resulting from it :
▪ The equipment records minute changes in air pressure.
5. rooms, houses etc that are too small
▷ cramped /kræmpt/ [adjective]
a room, space, or vehicle that is cramped is uncomfortable because there is not enough space inside it for people to move around :
▪ I hated working in that cramped little office.
▪ Conditions on board the ship were extremely cramped.
▷ poky/pokey British also dinky American /ˈpəʊki, ˈdɪŋki/ [adjective]
small, unattractive, and uncomfortable to be in :
▪ The whole family lives in two pokey little rooms at the back of the building.
▪ There was only one dinky store with a few cans of soup and some other useless junk for sale.
6. to become smaller in size
▷ get smaller /ˌget ˈsmɔːləʳ/ [verb phrase]
▪ The dot got smaller and smaller and vanished from the screen.
▪ Am I getting fatter or are these jeans getting smaller?
▷ shrink /ʃrɪŋk/ [intransitive verb]
if something shrinks, especially clothes, it becomes smaller because of the effect of water or heat :
▪ Don’t wash that sweater in the machine - it’ll shrink.
▪ Oh no! My skirt has shrunk!
▷ shrivel/shrivel up /ˈʃrɪv ə l, ˌʃrɪv ə l ˈʌp/ [intransitive verb/intransitive phrasal verb]
if something such as a plant or a fruit shrivels or shrivels up, it becomes smaller as water is removed from it, for example as a result of heat :
▪ Eventually the grapes will shrivel and become raisins,
▪ The crops were beginning to shrivel up in the heat.
shrivelled/shrivelled up [adjective]
▪ I don’t want this orange, it’s all shrivelled up.