tiny

adjective

ti·​ny ˈtī-nē 

tinier; tiniest

: very small or diminutive : minute

tinily

ˈtī-nə-lē 

adverb

tininess

ˈtī-nē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of tiny

• minuscule
• microscopic
• miniature
• 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

Documents from the monastery of San Lorenzo in Capua refer to the tiny balls of fatty milk encased in their own stretchy, tangy skin as mozze. —Literary Hub, 11 June 2026

Seasonal allergies are primarily caused by trees and grasses, whose tiny pollen particles travel on the wind. —Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 10 June 2026

In particular, many scientists think that tiny black holes, with masses as small as that of a medium-sized asteroid, could have formed directly from density fluctuations in the hot and dense matter that filled the cosmos moments after the Big Bang. —Robert Lea, Space.com, 10 June 2026

The plant’s tiny tubular flowers grow in clusters and come in red, pink, yellow, orange, purple, and white—sometimes in single, bi, or tricolor form. —Kate Nateras, Architectural Digest, 10 June 2026

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
• sunshiny

Kids Definition

tiny

adjective

ti·​ny ˈtī-nē 

tinier; tiniest

: very small : minute

tininess noun