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
He’s created a carpet to give the impression of grass, and added a small garden to accommodate the comfort of canine companions onboard.
—
Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 25 May 2025
Though compact, the main room is large enough to use as a general seating area, an office, or a workshop, while the smaller sectioned room can be utilized as a storage space, a small bathroom, or even a cozy sleeping nook—but that’s not all.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 25 May 2025
But as gleaned at Trent Bridge amid the color and emotion emanating from the terraces, Test cricket needs smaller nations to flourish and emerge beyond India, England and Australia.
—Tristan Lavalette, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
In addition to being the spiritual leader for what the church says is roughly 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, Leo is also the head of what’s recognized as the world’s smallest nation.
—Russ Bynum, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for small
Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 25 May 2025
Though compact, the main room is large enough to use as a general seating area, an office, or a workshop, while the smaller sectioned room can be utilized as a storage space, a small bathroom, or even a cozy sleeping nook—but that’s not all.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 25 May 2025
But as gleaned at Trent Bridge amid the color and emotion emanating from the terraces, Test cricket needs smaller nations to flourish and emerge beyond India, England and Australia.
—Tristan Lavalette, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
In addition to being the spiritual leader for what the church says is roughly 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, Leo is also the head of what’s recognized as the world’s smallest nation.
—Russ Bynum, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for small
Recent Examples of Synonyms for small
Adjective
-
Mia said she was kept off-kilter working around the clock for Combs with little sleep.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
30 May 2025
-
In Madrid, little is known about Bellingham’s social life.—
Gregg Evans,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
But the Lions scored three times in the top of the third off USD starter Cal Scolari.—
Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 May 2025
-
As the Cubs, winners in seven of their last nine, head into an off day Thursday, here are three takeaways from their second straight series victory.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
21 May 2025
Adjective
-
In total, 27 people were taken to the hospital, including two with serious injuries, and 20 others were treated at the scene for minor injuries, according to Dave Kitchin of North West Ambulance Service.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
27 May 2025
-
Troopers said the two boys were hospitalized with minor injuries.—
Olivia Lloyd,
Miami Herald,
27 May 2025
Adjective
-
The lives of these accomplished, seemingly independent women revolve around men, petty antics and low-stakes squabbles.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
29 May 2025
-
But the most powerful response isn’t rage or petty retaliation.—
Suneeta Motala,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
Adjective
-
Their double act had begun at secondary school, in North London, where Mulcahy protected the diminutive Duffy from bullies.—
Sarah Beckwith,
New Yorker,
26 May 2025
-
With that hardware, the diminutive DGX Spark will produce 1,000 trillion operations per second (TOPS) when working on AI tasks, vastly outperforming consumer AI PCs' 40-50 TOPS.—
Brian Westover,
PC Magazine,
24 May 2025
Adjective
-
The bill faced opposition from fiscal conservatives but ultimately passed in the House last week and is now before the Senate, where Republicans also hold a slim majority.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
29 May 2025
-
Don’t let its slim, 5-pound design fool you — this lightweight vacuum is equipped with three suction modes that can tackle floor-to-ceiling messes for up to 65 minutes, according to the brand.—
Clara McMahon,
People.com,
29 May 2025
Adjective
-
By virtue of no state income tax, Florida, Tampa Bay, Vegas, Dallas and Nashville do enjoy a slight competitive advantage, but the first 14 Cup champions of the cap era didn’t share that same edge.—
Murat Ates,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
-
Injuries can range from a slight stretching of the ligament to a complete tear, where the knee becomes unstable.—
Paul McClure
May 31,
New Atlas,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
The third barrier to advancement Hamilton mentioned is risk aversion, and the fourth is parochial services.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2025
-
Prevost spent nearly two decades in missionary service in Peru, beginning in 1985 with roles such as parochial vicar and chancellor in Chulucanas, and later director of formation for Augustinian aspirants in Trujillo.—
Chicago Tribune,
Twin Cities,
11 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Small.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/small. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share