Definition of tall
1a : high in statureb : of a specified height five feet tall
2a : of considerable height tall treesb : long from bottom to top a tall bookc : of a higher growing variety or species of plant
3a : large or formidable in amount, extent, or degree a tall order to fillb : pompous, high-flown tall talk about the vast mysteries of life — W. A. Whitec : highly exaggerated : incredible, improbable a tall story
4 obsolete : brave, courageous
tall
adverbRead the Latest from M-W
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 of tall from the Web
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The girl told officers the man was dark skinned, possibly Latino or Filipino, in his 20s, about 5 feet 11 inches tall with a medium build.
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By RENEE GRAHAM Associated Press DINOKENG GAME RESERVE, South Africa — The male lion brushes through the tall grass and strides into a clearing in a South African wildlife sanctuary.
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Then it's put into cans and sixtels (smaller, tall and skinny kegs) for distribution, and half-barrel kegs for the tasting gallery.
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This was her big brother, her fishing buddy and protector, tall and strong-willed but also kind in sometimes surprising ways.
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Sport fishing brought waves of tourists to the water, all of whom required hotels, restaurants and waterside pavilions for dancing, drinking and swapping tall tales of grappling with the great silver monsters of the sea.
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He was last seen wearing a blue hoodie with blue jeans and appeared to be about 5 feet 8 inches tall.
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The 196-foot-tall year-round attraction, called the Centennial Wheel in honor of Navy Pier's 100th anniversary in 2016, opened to the public on May 27 last year, replacing the Ferris wheel installed in 1995.
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During a drought, or in areas that get a ton of sun or too much shade, allow the grass to grow a little taller.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tall'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of tall
Middle English tal, probably from Old English getæl quick, ready; akin to Old High German gizal quick
First Known Use: 15th century
Synonym Discussion of tall
TALL Defined for English Language Learners
tall
playDefinition of tall for English Language Learners
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: greater in height than the average person, building, etc.
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: having a specified height
TALL Defined for Kids
Definition of tall for Students
taller
;tallest
1 : having unusually great height
2 : of a stated height ten feet tall
3 : made up a tall tale
tallness
nounDefinition of tall for Students
: so as to be or look tall Stand tall and straight.
Learn More about tall
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See words that rhyme with tall Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for tall Spanish Central: Translation of tall Nglish: Translation of tall for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of tall for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tall
Seen and Heard
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