tall

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 ↑stand¹(39), ⇨ walk tall at ↑walk¹(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 | The castle was surrounded by high walls. | a high cliff | 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 | A cat was hiding in the tall grass. | 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 | The abbey is noted for its majestic arches, fine doorways and elegant windows. | 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 | 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. | 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 | He works in a high-rise office in New York.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

tall

tall [tall taller tallest] [tɔːl] [tɔːl] adjective (tall·er, tall·est)
1. (of a person, building, tree, etc.) having a greater than average height
• She's tall and thin.
• tall chimneys
• the tallest building in the world
• a tall glass of iced tea

Opp: short

2. used to describe or ask about the height of sb/sth
• How tall are you?
• He's six feet tall and weighs 200 pounds.
more at great/tall oaks from little acorns grow at oak, walk tall at walk _v.
Idioms: a tall order ▪ stand tall
Derived Word: tallness
Word Origin:
late Middle English: probably from Old English getæl ‘swift, prompt’. Early senses also included ‘fine, handsome’ and ‘bold, strong, good at fighting’.
Which Word?:
high / tall
High is used to talk about the measurement from the bottom to the top of something: ▪ The fence is over five metres high. ◊ ▪ He has climbed some of the world’s highest mountains. You also use high to describe the distance of something from the ground: ▪ How high was the plane when the engine failed?
Tall is used instead of high to talk about people: ▪ My brother’s much taller than me. Tall is also used for things that are high and narrow such as trees: ▪ She ordered cold beer in a tall glass. ◊ ▪ tall factory chimneys. Buildings can be high or tall.
Example Bank:
• She is quite tall for her age.
• Suddenly he seemed to stand taller.
• (a) tall building/tower/tree/grass
• Pollutants are dispersed through tall chimneys.
• She's tall and thin with light brown hair.

• What's the tallest building in the world?

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

tall / tɔːl / / tɑːl / adjective

A1 of more than average height, or of a particular height:

a tall girl

a tall building

He's six feet tall.

She's much taller than me.

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

tall

/tɔ:l/
(taller, tallest)

Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.

1.
Someone or something that is tall has a greater height than is normal or average.
Being tall can make you feel incredibly self-confident...
The windows overlooked a lawn of tall waving grass.
ADJ

2.
You use tall to ask or talk about the height of someone or something.
How tall are you?...
I’m only 5ft tall, and I look younger than my age...
ADJ: how ADJ, amount ADJ, as ADJ as, ADJ-compar than

3.
If something is a tall order, it is very difficult.
Financing your studies may seem like a tall order, but there is plenty of help available.
PHRASE: N inflects, v-link PHR

4.
If you say that someone walks tall, you mean that they behave in a way that shows that they have pride in themselves and in what they are doing.
PHRASE: V inflects

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

tall

tall /ˈtɑːl/ adj tall·er; -est
1 : greater in height than the average person, building, etc.
• All the children in my family grew up to be very tall.
• My mother is short but my father is fairly tall.
• The giraffe is the tallest animal.
• tall trees
• the tallest [=highest] mountain
• the world's tallest building
• The drinks were served in tall glasses.
- opposite short synonyms see¹high
2 always used after a noun : having a specified height
• She is five feet tall.
• The building is six stories tall. [=high]