tiny

adjective

ti·​ny ˈtī-nē How to pronounce tiny (audio)
tinier; tiniest
Synonyms of tinynext
: very small or diminutive : minute
tinily adverb
tininess noun
Choose the Right Synonym for tiny

small, little, diminutive, minute, tiny, miniature mean noticeably below average in size.

small and little are often interchangeable, but small applies more to relative size determined by capacity, value, number.

a relatively small backyard

little is more absolute in implication often carrying the idea of petiteness, pettiness, insignificance, or immaturity.

your pathetic little smile

diminutive implies abnormal smallness.

diminutive bonsai plants

minute implies extreme smallness.

a minute amount of caffeine in the soda

tiny is an informal equivalent to minute.

tiny cracks formed in the painting

miniature applies to an exactly proportioned reproduction on a very small scale.

a dollhouse with miniature furnishings

Examples of tiny in a Sentence

The computer chips were tiny. He's from a tiny town that you've probably never heard of. There's just one tiny little problem. Aren't you even a tiny bit scared?
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Bondi Beach, Sydney — For Australia’s tiny Jewish population, Bondi Beach was a refuge within a vast country that offered sanctuary to families fleeing a seething hate that killed six million of their kind within the lifetime of some of their oldest members. Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 20 Dec. 2025 My Friends by Fredrik Backman The winner for best fiction of the year on Goodreads with more than 167,500 votes, My Friends follows Louisa, a young artist, who becomes obsessed with uncovering the story behind three tiny figures hidden in a famous painting that unexpectedly ends up in her care. Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 20 Dec. 2025 By the late 2010s, just a tiny handful of directors were still experimenting with the format. Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 20 Dec. 2025 The compartments are well thought out and the hanging hook saves precious counter space in tiny hotel bathrooms. Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 20 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tiny

Word History

Etymology

alteration of Middle English tine

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tiny was in 1598

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tiny. Accessed 26 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

tiny

adjective
ti·​ny ˈtī-nē How to pronounce tiny (audio)
tinier; tiniest
: very small : minute
tininess noun

More from Merriam-Webster on tiny

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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