tiny

adjective

ti·​ny ˈtī-nē 

tinier; tiniest

: very small or diminutive : minute

tinily

ˈtī-nə-lē 

adverb

tininess

ˈtī-nē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• atomic
• bitsy
• bitty
• infinitesimal
• itty-bitty
• itsy-bitsy
• little bitty
• microminiature
• microscopic
• microscopical
• miniature
• minuscule
• minute
• teensy
• teensy-weensy
• teeny
• teeny-weeny
• wee
• weeny
• weensy

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

At just over 14 miles up, well above the air space of commercial planes, the balloon popped, sending its tiny payload of invisible yet reflective gas into the stratosphere. —Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 7 Sep. 2024

Our appreciation for our tiny avian neighbors is well documented, which is why our eyes are always peeled for a glimpse of a hummingbird flitting from flower to flower in the garden. —Patricia S York, Southern Living, 7 Sep. 2024

While San Jose has previously prioritized quick-build communities, like tiny homes, for interim housing solutions, the city began looking at various alternatives, including safe sleeping and safe parking sites. —Devan Patel, The Mercury News, 6 Sep. 2024

Two decades ago, in the elections of 2000 and 2004, western Wisconsin attracted an astonishing level of very personal presidential campaigning, with the candidates crisscrossing the countryside on buses and battling over the same tiny towns. —Craig Gilbert, Journal Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

alteration of Middle English tine

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing tiny

• tiny house

Kids Definition

tiny

adjective

ti·​ny ˈtī-nē 

tinier; tiniest

: very small : minute

tininess noun