Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective tall contrast with its synonyms?

The words high and lofty are common synonyms of tall. While all three words mean "above the average in height," tall applies to what grows or rises high by comparison with others of its kind and usually implies relative narrowness.

a tall thin man

When can high be used instead of tall?

Although the words high and tall have much in common, high implies marked extension upward and is applied chiefly to things which rise from a base or foundation or are placed at a conspicuous height above a lower level.

a high hill
a high ceiling

When would lofty be a good substitute for tall?

While in some cases nearly identical to tall, lofty suggests great or imposing altitude.

lofty mountain peaks

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 tall The only real dimensional difference is the seat height: the S is a noob-friendlier 32.7 inches tall (832 mm), whereas the track scalpel is pretty tall at 34 inches (865 mm). Joe Salas may 25, New Atlas, 25 May 2025 His latest opening at 22 Bishopsgate, one of the tallest buildings in London, features not one, but three restaurants. Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 24 May 2025 Strain the mixture either into a flute or into a tall glass with ice, and top with sparkling wine. Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 24 May 2025 Built to haul small satellites to orbit, the rocket stands 82 feet (25 meters) tall and has an unusual design for a modern launcher, with three stages, each powered by hybrid engines burning a proprietary solid fuel mixed with a liquid oxidizer. ArsTechnica, 14 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for tall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tall
Adjective
  • Ford may have pioneered the assembly line, but NIO has an assembly matrix six floors high and five wide, where individual chassis can be plucked in any direction.
    Charlie Campbell, Time, 29 May 2025
  • Non-Maintainable Systems Lack of clean code structure, high entropy in the codebase, absence of modularity, dependency chaos, difficult debugging and lack of documentation can occur when applying vibe coding without a core engineering mindset.
    Naresh Prajapati, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
Adjective
  • But the fact that Schwartzman, in his first film, was given the difficult task of stealing laughs away from a comedy legend, and so often succeeds in doing so, gives him the slight edge.
    Shannon Carlin, Time, 30 May 2025
  • Shaving requires removing the end cap of a bat, which can be difficult to do, and shaving down or thinning out the inner wall of the barrel.
    Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Adjective
  • Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker combined to give this women’s basketball franchise an undeniable and towering allure, with three championship banners (2001, 2002, 2016) in the rafters.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 14 May 2025
  • Better yet, head to the east side of the park to Two Medicine Valley, which is full of trails leading to ice-blue backcountry lakes and towering peaks.
    Graham Averill, Outside Online, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • In this one-man show, Whitfield steps onstage not just as a performer, but as a guide—challenging, inspiring, and activating the ABFF community to transform their pain into purpose.
    DeMicia Inman, VIBE.com, 22 May 2025
  • However, this challenging situation also presents an opportunity for businesses.
    Kendra Davenport, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • That’s really tough to stop from turning into scoring opportunities for the opponent.
    Zach Harper, New York Times, 22 May 2025
  • Dapple Baby takes this task very seriously, offering a fragrance-free formula that’s tough on stains yet gentle on newborn skin.
    Pamela Brill, Parents, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • Sandoval has received some pay bumps, including a temporary $10,000-a-year bonus for Hawaii special education teachers designed to alleviate shortages in that and other hard-to-staff areas.
    Alia Wong, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2023
  • Whether those numbers are an overstatement, or possibly an understatement, is hard to say.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2023
Adjective
  • Each pits a young heroine of humble means against the formidable, possibly sinister lady of the estate; this time, that quintessential Nicole Kidman role is played by a serenely terrifying Julianne Moore.
    Judy Berman, Time, 22 May 2025
  • Selling a descent from stress into a state of devastation that can never be shed (only briefly reprised) is the formidable actress Parinaz Izadyar.
    Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • Hall, a former college football player, is quite the athlete and also gives fans a look into his rigorous workout regimen, which Khaled joined him for.
    Michael Saponara, Billboard, 23 May 2025
  • The Bee has a rigorous policy relating to requests for anonymity.
    Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 23 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Tall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tall. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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