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
The Wienermobile is about 11-feet (24 hot dogs) tall, eight feet (18 hot dogs) wide and 27-feet (60 hot dogs long).
—John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 2 Apr. 2024
Butler is described as being 5 foot 4 inches tall with red hair and green eyes, while Kelley is described as having brown hair and blue eyes, according to the Texas County Sheriff's Department.
—Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2024
According to local track guru Rick Smith, those hurdles were 42 inches tall compared with the current 39.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Apr. 2024
That’s a few hundred feet taller than Mount Everest, which rises 29,029 feet (8,848 meters) above sea level.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024
Set in Langley, about an hour and a half outside of Vancouver, Tannin Manor stands three stories tall amid manicured lawns.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 29 Mar. 2024
Despite no player in their rotation standing taller than 6-foot-1, the Bears (26-7) ranked third in the Big 12 in rebounding margin (7.4) and rebounds per game (40.2).
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Donald and Daisy are about three inches tall and have outstretched arms.
—Sari Hitchins, Parents, 21 Mar. 2024
The area is home to the world’s tallest trees — some reaching more than 350 feet (105 meters).
—Julie Watson, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2024
John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 2 Apr. 2024
Butler is described as being 5 foot 4 inches tall with red hair and green eyes, while Kelley is described as having brown hair and blue eyes, according to the Texas County Sheriff's Department.
—Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2024
According to local track guru Rick Smith, those hurdles were 42 inches tall compared with the current 39.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Apr. 2024
That’s a few hundred feet taller than Mount Everest, which rises 29,029 feet (8,848 meters) above sea level.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024
Set in Langley, about an hour and a half outside of Vancouver, Tannin Manor stands three stories tall amid manicured lawns.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 29 Mar. 2024
Despite no player in their rotation standing taller than 6-foot-1, the Bears (26-7) ranked third in the Big 12 in rebounding margin (7.4) and rebounds per game (40.2).
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Donald and Daisy are about three inches tall and have outstretched arms.
—Sari Hitchins, Parents, 21 Mar. 2024
The area is home to the world’s tallest trees — some reaching more than 350 feet (105 meters).
—Julie Watson, Fortune, 20 Mar. 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 16 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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