tall S2 W2 /tɔːl $ tɒːl/ BrE AmE adjective ( comparative taller , superlative tallest )
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: getæl 'quick, ready' ]
1 . a person, building, tree etc that is tall is a greater height than normal:
He was young and tall.
a house surrounded by tall trees
This bush grows tall very quickly.
2 . you use ‘tall’ to say or ask what the height of something or someone is
6ft/2m/12 inches etc tall
He’s only 5 feet tall.
How tall is that building?
She’s a little taller than her sister.
3 . American English a tall drink contains a small amount of alcohol mixed with a large amount of a non-alcoholic drink
4 . a tall order informal a request or piece of work that is almost impossible:
Finding a replacement is going to be a tall order.
5 . tall story/tale a story that is so unlikely that it is difficult to believe
—tallness noun [uncountable]
⇨ stand tall at ↑ stand 1 (39), ⇨ walk tall at ↑ walk 1 (10)
• • •
THESAURUS
■ buildings/mountains etc
▪ high measuring a long distance from the bottom to the top – used about mountains, walls, and buildings:
the highest mountain in the world
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The castle was surrounded by high walls.
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a high cliff
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The council told the architects the tower was too high.
▪ tall high – used about people, trees, plants, and buildings. Tall is used especially about things that are high and narrow:
tall marble columns
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A cat was hiding in the tall grass.
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a tall modern building
▪ majestic especially written very impressive because of being very big and tall – used about mountains, buildings, trees, and animals:
the majestic mountains of the Himalayas
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The abbey is noted for its majestic arches, fine doorways and elegant windows.
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The cathedral looked majestic in the evening light.
▪ soaring [only before noun] especially written used about a building or mountain that looks extremely tall and impressive:
a soaring skyscraper
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the soaring towers of the palace
▪ towering [only before noun] especially written extremely high, in a way that seems impressive but also often rather frightening:
The sky was shut out by the towering walls of the prison.
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towering trees
▪ lofty [usually before noun] literary very high and impressive – used in literature:
the lofty peaks in the far distance
▪ high-rise [usually before noun] a high-rise building is a tall modern building with a lot of floors containing apartments or offices:
a high-rise apartment block
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He works in a high-rise office in New York.