small

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small

small [adjective] (LITTLE)

US

/smɑːl/

UK

/smɔːl/

Example:

The T-shirt was too small for him.

not large in size or amount

Persian equivalent:

Click here.

Example:

The T-shirt was too small for him.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

small

I. small¹ S1 W1 /smɔːl $ smɒːl/ BrE AmE adjective (comparative smaller, superlative smallest)
[Language: Old English; Origin: smæl]
1. SIZE not large in size or amount:
a small piece of paper
a small car
a small town
a small dark woman
The T-shirt was too small for him.
The sweater comes in three sizes – small, medium, and large.
Only a relatively small number of people were affected.
a small amount of money
A much smaller proportion of women are employed in senior positions.
2. NOT IMPORTANT a small problem, job, mistake etc is not important or does not have a large effect SYN minor:
We may have to make a few small changes.
There’s been a small problem.
There’s only a small difference between them.
It was good to feel we had helped in some small way.
3. no small degree/achievement/task etc a large degree, achievement etc:
The success of the project is due in no small measure to the work of Dr Peterson.
That is no small achievement in the circumstances.
4. YOUNG a small child is young:
She has three small children.
I’ve known him since he was a small boy.
5. small business/firm/farmer etc a business that does not involve large amounts of money or does not employ a large number of people:
grants for small businesses
6. LETTER small letters are letters in the form a, b, c etc rather than A, B, C etc SYN lower case OPP capital
7. conservative with a small 'c'/democrat with a small 'd' etc informal someone who believes in the principles you have mentioned, but does not belong to an organized group or political party
8. VOICE a small voice is quiet and soft:
‘What about me?’ she asked in a small voice.
9. look/feel small to seem or feel stupid, unimportant, or ashamed:
She jumped at any opportunity to make me look small.
10. (it’s a) small world especially spoken used to express surprise when you unexpectedly meet someone you know or find out that someone has an unexpected connection to you:
Did you know David went to school with my brother? It’s a small world, isn’t it?
11. a small fortune a large amount of money
cost/spend/pay a small fortune
It must have cost him a small fortune.
12. small change coins of low value:
I didn’t have any small change for the parking meter.
13. be thankful/grateful for small mercies/favours to be pleased that a bad situation is not even worse:
She wasn’t too badly hurt, so we should be thankful for small mercies.
14. the small hours (also the wee small hours British English) the early morning hours, between about one and four o'clock
in/into the small hours
He finally fell exhausted into bed in the small hours.
The party continued into the wee small hours.
15. small arms guns that you hold with one or both hands when firing them
16. something is small potatoes (also something is small beer British English) informal used to say that someone or something is not important, especially when compared to other people or things:
Even with £10,000 to invest, you are still small beer for most investment managers.
—small adverb:
He writes so small I can’t read it.
—smallness noun [uncountable]
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ small not large in size, amount, or effect: a small boat | small businesses | a small amount of money | small changes
▪ little [usually before noun] small – used about objects, places, and living things. Used especially with other adjectives to show how you feel about someone or something: It’s a very pretty little town. | The poor little dog has hurt its leg. | The cake was decorated with little flowers.
▪ low used about prices, rents, levels, or standards: People on low incomes are finding it difficult to pay fuel bills. | The crime rate in the area is relatively low.
▪ slight [usually before noun] small and not very important or not very noticeable: a slight problem | There’s been a slight improvement in his health. | a slight increase in sales
▪ minor small and not important or not serious: minor injuries | We’ve made some minor changes to the program.
▪ compact small – used about places, buildings etc in which space is used effectively, or about phones, cameras, cars etc which are designed to be much smaller than usual: The apartments are very compact. | a compact camera | It is a pleasant and compact city.
▪ poky especially British English used about a room, house etc that is too small: a poky bedroom | a poky flat
▪ cramped used about a space, room, or vehicle that is too small because people do not have enough room to move around: They all lived together in a cramped apartment. | The car feels cramped with four adults in it.
■ very small
▪ tiny very small – used about objects, numbers, or amounts: a tiny island | Dairy foods provide your body with a tiny amount of vitamin D.
▪ teeny informal very small - used for emphasis: I'll just have a teeny bit of cream. | There's just one teeny little problem. | a teeny little house
▪ minute extremely small and extremely difficult to see or notice: They found minute traces of poison in his body. | The differences are minute. | minute creatures
▪ miniature a miniature camera, watch, railway etc is made in a very small size. A miniature horse, dog etc is bred to be a very small size: The spy used a miniature camera. | the fashion for miniature pets
▪ microscopic extremely small and impossible to see without special equipment: microscopic organisms | microscopic particles of dust
▪ minuscule /ˈmɪnəskjuːl, ˈmɪnɪskjuːl/ extremely small in a surprising way: She was wearing a minuscule bikini. | The threat from terrorism is minuscule compared to other risks in our lives.
▪ itty-bitty/itsy-bitsy [only before noun] American English informal very small: An itty-bitty little bug crawled across his forehead. | We stayed at some itty-bitty hotel in a back street.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

small

small [small smalls smaller smallest] adjective, adverb, noun [smɔːl] [smɔːl]

adjective (small·er, small·est)

NOT LARGE
1. not large in size, number, degree, amount, etc
• a small house/town/car/man
• A much smaller number of students passed than I had expected.
• They're having a relatively small wedding.
• That dress is too small for you.

• ‘I don't agree,’ he said in a small (= quiet) voice.

2. (abbr. S) used to describe one size in a range of sizes of clothes, food, products used in the house, etc.
• small, medium, large

• This is too big— have you got a small one?

3. not as big as sth else of the same kind

• the small intestine

YOUNG

4. young
• They have three small children.
• We travelled around a lot when I was small.

• As a small boy he had spent most of his time with his grandparents.

NOT IMPORTANT

5. slight; not important
• I made only a few small changes to the report.
• She noticed several small errors in his work.
• Everything had been planned down to the smallest detail.
• It was no small achievement getting her to agree to the deal.

• Don't worry. It's only a small problem.

BUSINESS

6. usually before noun not doing business on a very large scale
• a small farmer

• The government is planning to give more help to small businesses.

LETTERS

7. usually before noun not written or printed as capitals
• Should I write ‘god’ with a small ‘g’ or a capital?

• She's a socialist with a small ‘s’ (= she has socialist ideas but is not a member of a socialist party).

NOT MUCH

8. only before noun (used with uncountable nouns) little; not much
• The government has small cause for optimism.
• They have small hope of succeeding.
more at a big fish (in a small pond) at big _adj., great and small at great _adj., the small/early hoursthe wee small hours at hour, a/the still small voice at still _adj., don't sweat the small stuff at sweat _v., in a big/small way at way _n., (it's) no/little/small wonder (that)… at wonder _n.
Word Origin:
Old English smæl, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch smal and German schmal.
Thesaurus:
small adj.
1.
• That dress is too small for you.
little • • tiny • • miniature • • compact • • minute • • microscopic •
Opp: large, Opp: big
a small/little/tiny/miniature house/town/room
a small/little/tiny/minute/microscopic detail
a small/little/tiny baby/child
Small or little? Small is the most usual opposite of big or large. Little is often used to show how you feel about sb/sth, especially after other adjectives such as ugly, nice or cute.
2. usually before noun
• I've made a few small changes to the report.
slight • • minor • • modest • • minimal • • marginal • |especially spoken little • |especially written negligible • • unimportant •
Opp: big, Opp: major
a small/slight/minor/modest/minimal/marginal/little change/difference/improvement
a small/modest/minimal/negligible amount
a small/slight/minor/little error/mistake/defect/accident/problem
Small or slight? Use either word to talk about changes or problems. Use slight but not small to talk about medical problems, feelings or things that affect the senses; use small but not slight to talk about amounts
• a slight cold/headache/movement/touch
• a small amount/number/quantity, etc.

Example Bank:
• Choose plants that will stay small.
• Employers, large and small, face massive fines.
• My coat was rather small for Bob.
• Technology has made the world smaller.
• The gap seemed to be getting smaller.
• The kite grew smaller and smaller and finally disappeared altogether.
• The phones are getting smaller and smaller.
• Add a small amount of liquid to the mixture.
• Can I ask you a small favour?
• Don't worry. It's only a small problem.
• He has incredibly small handwriting.
• He would try anything to make her even the smallest degree happier.
• She comes from a small town in the Mid-West.
• The T-shirts come in small, medium and large.
• The candidate with the smallest number of votes has to stand down.
• Their apartment's pretty small.
• These shoes are too big. Do you have some in a smaller size?
• They're having a relatively small wedding.
• You can grow a stunning display of flowers even in the smallest garden.
• a slight/small adjustment/alteration/amendment/change/improvement/reduction/rise/variation
• a slight/small mistake/error/defect/flaw/blemish/discrepancy/problem/snag/accident
• a small amount/number/quantity/degree/proportion/minority

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

small / smɔːl / / smɑːl / adjective (LITTLE)

A1 little in size or amount when compared with what is typical or average:

a small dog/house/car/country

I'd rather live in a small town than a big city.

Would you like a large or small cola with your burger?

Ella is the smallest girl in her class.

That jacket's too small for you.

He's small for his age.

Only a small number of applicants are successful.

The number of women in parliament is pitifully (= extremely) small.

Liqueurs are usually drunk in small quantities .

smallness / ˈsmɔːl.nəs / / ˈsmɑːl- / noun [ U ]

The smallness of the city often surprises first-time visitors.

small / smɔːl / / smɑːl / adjective (YOUNG)

A1 describes a very young child that is older than a baby:

Looking after small children can be very tiring.

smallness / ˈsmɔːl.nəs / / ˈsmɑːl- / noun [ U ]

The smallness of the city often surprises first-time visitors.

small / smɔːl / / smɑːl / adjective [ before noun ] (LIMITED ACTIVITY)

limited in the amount of an activity:

The government should give more help to small businessmen (= people whose businesses are of a limited size) .

Chris is quite a small eater so he won't want much.

If you can help us in a small way (= to a limited degree) it would be greatly appreciated.

small / smɔːl / / smɑːl / adjective (NOT IMPORTANT)

A2 not very important or not likely to cause problems:

She just made a couple of small mistakes in the test.

I have a small problem I would like to discuss with you.

small / smɔːl / / smɑːl / adjective (ASHAMED)

ashamed or weak:

Talking to her makes me feel small.

He's always trying to make me look small in front of my boss.

smallness / ˈsmɔːl.nəs / / ˈsmɑːl- / noun [ U ]

The smallness of the city often surprises first-time visitors.

small / smɔːl / / smɑːl / adjective (LETTER SIZE)

[ before noun ] describes letters that are not capital letters:

The poet e. e. cummings wrote his name with small letters, not capital letters.

UK A conservative with a small 'c' is someone who has traditional values, such as disliking change in society, rather than being a member or supporter of the Conservative Party. We can use this structure with other words to say something is more general or less extreme than the usual meaning:

Management is all about politics with a small 'p'.