diminutive

¹di·min·u·tive

noun \də-ˈmi-nyə-tiv\

Definition of DIMINUTIVE

1

: a diminutive word, affix, or name

2

: a diminutive individual

Examples of DIMINUTIVE

1. the diminutives “-ette” and “kitchenette”
2. <dik-diks, the diminutives of the antelope family>

Origin of DIMINUTIVE

Middle English diminutif, from Medieval Latin diminutivum, alteration of Late Latin deminutivum, from neuter of deminutivus, adjective, from deminutus, past participle of deminuere

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to DIMINUTIVE

Synonyms

dwarf, midget, mite, peewee, pygmy (also pigmy), runt, scrub, shrimp, Tom Thumb

Antonyms

behemoth, colossus, giant, jumbo, leviathan, mammoth, monster, titan

Related Words

nubbin; mini, miniature; bantam; homunculus, hop-o'-my-thumb, manikin (also mannikin); half-pint

Near Antonyms

whale, whopper

Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms

ablaut, allusion, anacoluthon, diacritic, gerund, idiom, infinitive, metaphor, semiotics, simile

²diminutive

adjective

Definition of DIMINUTIVE

1

: indicating small size and sometimes the state or quality of being familiarly known, lovable, pitiable, or contemptible —used of affixes (as -ette, -kin, -ling) and of words formed with them (as kitchenette, manikin, duckling), of clipped forms (as Jim), and of altered forms (as Peggy) — compare augmentative

2

: exceptionally or notably small : tiny <a diminutive performer>

— di·min·u·tive·ly adverb

— di·min·u·tive·ness noun

Examples of DIMINUTIVE

1. a radio with a diminutive set of speakers
2. the diminutive suffixes “-ette” and “-ling”

First Known Use of DIMINUTIVE

14th century

Related to DIMINUTIVE

Synonyms

bantam, small, dinky, dwarfish, fine, half-pint, Lilliputian, little, pint-size (or pint-sized), pocket, pocket-size (also pocket-sized), puny, pygmy, shrimpy, slight, smallish, subnormal, toylike, undersized (also undersize)

Antonyms

big, biggish, considerable, goodly, grand, great, handsome, husky, king-size (or king-sized), large, largish, outsize (also outsized), overscale (or overscaled), oversize (or oversized), sizable (or sizeable), substantial, tidy, whacking, whopping

Related Words

dwarf, toy; runtish, runty, scrubby, stunted; bitty, inappreciable, infinitesimal, little bitty, micro, microscopic (also microscopical), mini, miniature, miniaturized, minikin, minim, minuscule, minute, pinpoint, teensy, teensy-weensy, teeny, teeny-weeny, tiny, wee, weeny (also weensy); meager (or meagre), niggardly, poor, scant, scanty, scarce, skimp, skimpy, slender, slim, spare, sparse, stingy; deficient, inadequate, insufficient, lacking, wanting; bite-size (also bite-sized), capsule

Near Antonyms

bulky, hefty, hulking, massive, voluminous; boxcar, Brobdingnagian, Bunyanesque, cavernous, colossal, cyclopean, elephantine, enormous, galactic, gargantuan, giant, gigantic, gross, Himalayan, herculean, heroic (also heroical), huge, humongous (also humungous), immense, jumbo, leviathan, mammoth, monolithic, monstrous, monumental, mountainous, pharaonic, prodigious, staggering, stupendous, titanic, tremendous, vast; abundant, ample, appreciable, bountiful, copious, generous, healthy, liberal, plenteous, plentiful; fat, thick; broad, wide; boundless, cosmic (also cosmical), immeasurable, incalculable, infinite; adequate, enough, sufficient

See Synonym Discussion at small

Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms

ablaut, allusion, anacoluthon, diacritic, gerund, idiom, infinitive, metaphor, semiotics, simile