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

Instead of using a single bulky lens, the camera employs a thin mask embedded with dozens of tiny lenslets, each capturing a unique perspective of the same object. —Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 13 Sep. 2025

These macaws are severely range-restricted in the wild to a tiny tropical savannah in north-central Bolivia, known as Llanos de Moxos (the Moxos plains). —Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025

In the years since Mendoza’s sentencing, as in the years before, only a tiny fraction of farms are investigated for potential H-2A violations. —ProPublica, 13 Sep. 2025

Sacramento leaders will consider four new locations for homeless people, including three tiny home communities designated for seniors at a monthly fee. —Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 12 Sep. 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