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
Its dyed and cast concrete figures stand approximately 10 feet tall, with hollowed eyes honoring the Indigenous peoples as the first stewards of the land.
—Donovan X. Ramsey, Rolling Stone, 14 Apr. 2024
An examination determined the leg belonged to a Black woman, approximately 5 feet tall.
—Zoe Sottile, CNN, 14 Apr. 2024
The legislation states developments with affordable and workforce housing can go as high as the tallest building within a one-mile radius.
—Rebecca San Juan, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2024
Once the dinosaurs finish drying, kids can play with their new friends, who stand approximately 5 to 7 inches tall.
—Ashley Ziegler, Parents, 13 Apr. 2024
But the car barn still stands tall today, albeit trolley-free.
—Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 12 Apr. 2024
Facing a wall of opposition from fire officials, Colorado lawmakers on Wednesday killed a bill that would have allowed taller apartment buildings to be constructed in a single-stair style that’s common in Europe.
—Seth Klamann, The Denver Post, 11 Apr. 2024
The cathedral, which belongs to the Catholic Church and stands more than 500 feet tall, began construction in 1248 and took more than seven centuries to build.
—Sophia Compton, Fox News, 10 Apr. 2024
The 260 rooms and suites of this hotel are located in one of the tallest buildings in Denver.
—Chadner Navarro, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2024
Donovan X. Ramsey, Rolling Stone, 14 Apr. 2024
An examination determined the leg belonged to a Black woman, approximately 5 feet tall.
—Zoe Sottile, CNN, 14 Apr. 2024
The legislation states developments with affordable and workforce housing can go as high as the tallest building within a one-mile radius.
—Rebecca San Juan, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2024
Once the dinosaurs finish drying, kids can play with their new friends, who stand approximately 5 to 7 inches tall.
—Ashley Ziegler, Parents, 13 Apr. 2024
But the car barn still stands tall today, albeit trolley-free.
—Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 12 Apr. 2024
Facing a wall of opposition from fire officials, Colorado lawmakers on Wednesday killed a bill that would have allowed taller apartment buildings to be constructed in a single-stair style that’s common in Europe.
—Seth Klamann, The Denver Post, 11 Apr. 2024
The cathedral, which belongs to the Catholic Church and stands more than 500 feet tall, began construction in 1248 and took more than seven centuries to build.
—Sophia Compton, Fox News, 10 Apr. 2024
The 260 rooms and suites of this hotel are located in one of the tallest buildings in Denver.
—Chadner Navarro, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tall.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near tall
Cite this Entry
“Tall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tall. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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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