tiny

adjective

ti·​ny ˈtī-nē 

tinier; tiniest

: very small or diminutive : minute

tinily

ˈtī-nə-lē 

adverb

tininess

ˈtī-nē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• minuscule
• miniature
• microscopic
• small

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

In 1913, a tiny American state made a calculated bet that would reshape the global economy. —Jan Hammer, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2025

Astronauts traveling to Mars will have to survive for months on a tiny spaceship with minimal food, endure microgravity where their bones and muscles waste away, and suffer from cosmic radiation bombardment. —Big Think, 18 Oct. 2025

The pastel buildings stacked up those hills, fado music spilling out of tiny bars at night, people who actually seem happy to help when you’re lost, were my beautiful introduction. —Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 18 Oct. 2025

But those ties aren't proven, and Venezuelan drugs make up a tiny fraction of those trafficked into the United States. —Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

alteration of Middle English tine

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing tiny

• tiny house

Rhymes for tiny

• briny
• piney
• shiny
• spiny
• consignee
• sunshiny

Kids Definition

tiny

adjective

ti·​ny ˈtī-nē 

tinier; tiniest

: very small : minute

tininess noun