subnormal

sub·nor·mal

adjective \-ˈnȯr-məl\

Definition of SUBNORMAL

1

: lower or smaller than normal

2

: having less of something and especially of intelligence than is normal

— sub·nor·mal·i·ty \ˌsəb-nȯr-ˈma-lə-tē\ noun

— sub·nor·mal·ly \ˌsəb-ˈnȯr-mə-lē\ adverb

Examples of SUBNORMAL

1. subnormal levels of vitamin C
2. people who are subnormal in insulin production

Origin of SUBNORMAL

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use: circa 1890

Related to SUBNORMAL

Synonyms

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

Rhymes with SUBNORMAL

abnormal, conformal, informal

sub·nor·mal

adjective \ˌsəb-ˈnȯr-məl\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of SUBNORMAL

1

: lower or smaller than normal <a subnormal temperature>

2

: having less of something and especially of intelligence than is normal

—sub·nor·mal·i·ty \ˌsəb-nȯr-ˈmal-ət-ē\ (audio pronunciation) noun, plural ; sub·nor·mal·i·ties