1
a
: high in stature
b
: of a specified height
five feet tall
2
a
: of considerable height
tall trees
b
: long from bottom to top
a tall book
c
: of a higher growing variety or species of plant
3
a
: large or formidable in amount, extent, or degree
a tall order to fill
b
: pompous, high-flown
tall talk about the vast mysteries of life—
W. A. White
W. A. White
c
: highly exaggerated : incredible, improbable
a tall story
4
obsolete
: brave, courageous
Examples of tall in a Sentence
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.
The drinks were served in tall glasses.
She is five feet tall.
Recent Examples on the Web
Native to Puerto Rico and parts of the Leeward Islands, cowboy prickly pear can grow to 10 feet tall in the wild.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Jan. 2025
The street had been engulfed in 40-foot tall flames supported by 70-plus-mph winds; one of the homes in front of us, now just rubble and ash, belonged to another member of the Brigade, Tyler Hauptman.
—Emma Marie Jenkinson, Vogue, 24 Jan. 2025
For a school that is one of the smallest by enrollment in Division I (Queens’ undergraduate enrollment is under 2,000 students), the Royals are quite tall on the court.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 24 Jan. 2025
Failure to pinch the tips out of new growth of copper plants, fall asters, mums, Mexican bush salvias, coleus, and other summer color plants that tend to grow too tall over the course of a long Texas growing season.
—Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for tall 
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Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Jan. 2025
The street had been engulfed in 40-foot tall flames supported by 70-plus-mph winds; one of the homes in front of us, now just rubble and ash, belonged to another member of the Brigade, Tyler Hauptman.
—Emma Marie Jenkinson, Vogue, 24 Jan. 2025
For a school that is one of the smallest by enrollment in Division I (Queens’ undergraduate enrollment is under 2,000 students), the Royals are quite tall on the court.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 24 Jan. 2025
Failure to pinch the tips out of new growth of copper plants, fall asters, mums, Mexican bush salvias, coleus, and other summer color plants that tend to grow too tall over the course of a long Texas growing season.
—Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for tall
Dictionary Entries Near tall
Cite this Entry
“Tall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tall. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tall
adjective1
a
: having unusually great height
b
: of a specified height
five feet tall
2
a
: large in amount, extent, or degree
a tall order to fill
b
: greatly exaggerated : improbable
a tall tale
tall
adverb
tallness
noun
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