tiny

adjective ti·ny \ ˈtī-nē \

|Updated on: 17 Aug 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: tiny in a Sentence

Definition of tiny

tinier; tiniest

: very small or diminutive : minute

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tinily

play \ˈtī-nə-lē\ adverb

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tininess

play \ˈtī-nē-nəs\ noun

See tiny defined for English-language learners

See tiny defined for kids

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 of tiny from the Web

Translation: Ticks are tiny creatures sans backbones that latch onto your body and slurp up your blood like gross, miniscule, multi-legged vampires.

— kate sheridan, SELF, "Here’s Exactly What to Do if a Tick Bites You," 14 July 2018
In other Jenner and Scott news, Kylie also shared an adorable video of her showering Stormi -- decked out in with tiny studs in her pierced ears -- with kisses on Wednesday (July 11) night.

— sam tornow, Billboard, "Travis Scott Tweets He Could Not Be 'More Proud' of Kylie's 'Forbes' Cover," 12 July 2018
Of the eight million metric tons of plastic waste that gets lost at sea every year, most breaks down into tiny microplastics that eventually get ingested by humans via seafood.

— emily atkin, The New Republic, "Critics of Starbucks’ Straw Ban Are Missing the Point," 12 July 2018
In Maracaibo, passengers even ride around in a brightly colored tiny train designed and decorated for children.

— gustavo ocando alex, miamiherald, "With little public transportation, Venezuelans resort to dangerous, illegal ‘kennels’ to get around," 12 July 2018
Alexandra Argyropoulos, a friend who hosted the family in June 2013, told authorities that Jennifer permitted each child to eat just one tiny slice of pizza for dinner one evening.

— joe heim and julie tate, Houston Chronicle, "As Hart children begged for help, system failed them," 12 July 2018
If the soup is very flatly sweet, a tiny bit of white wine vinegar or lime juice can help balance it out.

— San Antonio Express-News, "Recipe: Silky Sweet Corn Soup with Indian Coconut-Cilantro Chutney," 11 July 2018
The activists pack the township’s tiny boardroom on the second Monday of every month to attempt to shame and deride Brannigan for her comments.

— zak koeske, Daily Southtown, "Palos Township trustee says she won't resign a year after Facebook comments about Middle Eastern immigrants ignited protests," 11 July 2018
The soggy rope was crusted with something tiny, dark and solid, like BBs.

— tim prudente, baltimoresun.com, "Explosion of false dark mussels revives hopes for clearer waters and concern for dogs in Anne Arundel County," 11 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tiny.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of tiny

alteration of Middle English tine

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1598

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

tiny Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of 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.