small

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.