tall

adjective \ ˈtȯl \

|Updated on: 12 Jun 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: tall in a Sentence

Definition of tall

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

c : highly exaggerated : incredible, improbable

a tall story

4 obsolete : brave, courageous

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tall

adverb

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tallish

play \ˈtȯ-lish\ adjective

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tallness

play \ˈtȯl-nəs\ noun

See tall defined for English-language learners

See tall defined for kids

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

Participants must be at least 8 years oldand 4 feet tall.

— kellie hwang, azcentral, "Going tubing this weekend? Essential safety tips to prevent drowning accidents," 8 June 2018
Police said Weems is about 6 feet tall and 180 pounds.

— steve burns, ajc, "62-year-old sought in shooting deaths of teen, man," 7 June 2018
Boyd is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 240 pounds, according to Audrey Barnes, city spokeswoman.

— jess nocera, Laurel Leader, "Laurel police obtain arrest warrant following weekend rape," 6 June 2018
Children must be 9 years old or at least 52 inches tall to ride and must have an adult present.

— Sun-Sentinel.com, "Coral Springs and Coconut Creek area events, June 6-16," 6 June 2018
Clark, who was 6 feet 4 inches tall and had already caught a touchdown pass in the game, went high for the ball and snared it with his fingertips to tie the game.

— richard goldstein, New York Times, "Dwight Clark, 61, Dies; Made a Touchdown Catch for the Ages," 5 June 2018
Despite a frontal mass that is almost 9 feet tall and 6.5 feet wide, the NV handles as a much smaller vehicle.

— mark maynard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Nissan NV 3500 High Roof: The sky is the limit," 1 June 2018
Waggener is 6 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 250 pounds, according to police.

— jared gilmour, sacbee, "Man forced neighbors to be his chore ‘slaves’ — and wouldn't let them leave, Wash. cops say," 1 June 2018
The steel tower is 25 feet tall and is an exact replica of the one in Haifa.

— sam whiting, San Francisco Chronicle, "Periscope at Pier 27 peeks into Israel, live, from across the world," 31 May 2018

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 4

See Words from the same year

tall Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of tall

high, tall, lofty mean above the average in height. high implies marked extension upward and is applied chiefly to things which rise from a base or foundation or are placed at a conspicuous height above a lower level.