1
as in little
of a size that is less than average
a small cat who never weighed more than five pounds
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in off
small in degree
your chances of winning the lottery are so small that it's best not to count on it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in minor
lacking importance
reluctant to bring such a small matter to the boss's attention
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in petty
not broad or open in views or opinions
townspeople who were helpful to one another but who also could be small and intolerant
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Try This Instead
Try This InsteadFor
Try This
a small amount
small changes
small pieces
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of small
Places to Eat Bryce Canyon Coffee Co. Both Green and LeFevre suggest starting your day at Bryce Canyon Coffee Co. in Tropic, a small community in the Bryce Valley area.
—
Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2025
Bob Dylan did that, and La La Land did that to a much smaller way.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2025
Despite being a very small heavyweight at 210 pounds, sophomore Daniel Moylan, took third at 285.
—Kevin J. Farmer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2025
Beneath that ice, the light sensors recorded an astronomically small number of photons: an upper range of 0.04 micromoles per square meter per second, a number very close to the theoretical minimum amount of light that photosynthesis can run on.
—Asher Elbein, WIRED, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for small
Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2025
Bob Dylan did that, and La La Land did that to a much smaller way.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2025
Despite being a very small heavyweight at 210 pounds, sophomore Daniel Moylan, took third at 285.
—Kevin J. Farmer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2025
Beneath that ice, the light sensors recorded an astronomically small number of photons: an upper range of 0.04 micromoles per square meter per second, a number very close to the theoretical minimum amount of light that photosynthesis can run on.
—Asher Elbein, WIRED, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for small
Recent Examples of Synonyms for small
Adjective
-
But despite Trump’s harsh tone, the prospect of higher tariffs will mean little to Moscow, given the tiny amounts of trade between the US and Russia.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN,
7 Mar. 2025
-
The order’s vague framework has sparked concerns, particularly as Trump’s March 7, 2025, Crypto Summit is set to feature a narrow circle of industry elites, with little representation from diverse perspectives or consumer advocates.—
Tonya M. Evans,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Because the baseball season is long, every off day — both in spring training and in the regular season — is cherished as a time to spend time away from the constant grind of the season.—
C. Trent Rosecrans,
The Athletic,
26 Feb. 2025
-
The companies are also planning another event in December for athletes in leagues that are in their off seasons at the time, like the WNBA, NWSL, and MLB.—
Alex Weprin,
The Hollywood Reporter,
6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The cab driver suffered minor back and neck injuries in the crash and claimed Zangrilli was drunk but the responding officer sent the inspector on his way, telling the cabbie to file an accident report at an NYPD precinct.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
4 Mar. 2025
-
According to a statement from the Danville Police Department, the drivers of both vehicles suffered minor injuries, while two other passengers in the truck were unhurt.—
Rick Hurd,
The Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
But being able to distinguish when things are challenging versus straight-up unhealthy can keep you from spiraling into petty drama and sneaky backstabbing.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
3 Mar. 2025
-
On the page, Serafina is an archetypical Williams heroine — a woman who feels the world too deeply and is therefore brutalized by its harsh truths and petty cruelties (e.g. Maggie the Cat, Blanche DuBois, Amanda Wingfield).—
EW Staff,
EW.com,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Presented here, through some visual trickery, as a diminutive schlump with a hideous comb-over, Hawke doesn’t exactly disappear into the role, which strikes me as fortuitous and perhaps deliberate.—
Justin Chang,
The New Yorker,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Named Grace after the late pioneer of software engineering Grace Murray Hopper, the diminutive craft will conduct several hops that reach up to 50 meters (164 feet) in the air before diving into a nearby crater that lives in permanent shadow.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Republicans control Congress but have little margin for error with slim majorities in both the House and the Senate.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
5 Mar. 2025
-
The indices are etched directly into the external crystal to maintain the slim profile.—
Bhanu Chopra,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Freud’s notion of remembering, the inexact reiteration of what came before, is where creativity emerges—that slight drift from the original that lets something unlikely slip in.—
Namwali Serpell,
The New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2025
-
Sugarcane honey is a concentrated form of sugarcane juice that has a slight licorice taste and a touch of bitterness.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
And yet conceding those messy parochial disputes to powers outside the university seems to some to represent no less of a crisis.—
Nathan Heller,
The New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2025
-
Nation-states and their parochial identities would give way to an interdependent and cosmopolitan future.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Small.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/small. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share