tiny

adjective

ti·​ny ˈtī-nē How to pronounce tiny (audio)
tinier; tiniest
: very small or diminutive : minute
tinily adverb
tininess noun
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 Ahead of the big night, the actress tweeted a photo in which Beaumont's tiny arm and leg are just visible in Peretti's arms. Emily St. Martin, Peoplemag, 10 Sep. 2023 The singers may attempt to throw off the crowd, but keen observers might pick up on tiny clues buried throughout the show. Josie Howell | Jhowell@al.com, al, 10 Sep. 2023 People capable of squeezing into the tiny space were giving him water. Sam Metz and Mosa'ab Elshamy, Chicago Tribune, 9 Sep. 2023 For his Spring 2024 debut for Helmut Lang, designer Peter Do was clearly loving the 90s, the hopeful hustle energy of NY, and a tiny bit of nostalgia, creating a beauty look mix that encompassed the idea of going to the future, while referencing the past. Kathleen Hou, ELLE, 9 Sep. 2023 The blow flies’ main sensing organ is their antennae, two thin projections from the head that are covered in tiny hairs. Christine Picard, Discover Magazine, 9 Sep. 2023 Rita Wilson, who’d recently launched Playtone Productions with husband Tom Hanks, noticed a tiny ad for the play in the Los Angeles Times. Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Sep. 2023 Warming oceans and out-of-control chemical use cause coral reefs to eject bacteria and tiny algae called zooxanthellae that live in their tissue and provide them with important nutrients. David Ewing Duncan, Scientific American, 8 Sep. 2023 Hanging in the balance were not the preferences of a tiny community of home-schoolers but the fate of tens of millions of children in America’s public schools. Emma Brown and Peter Jamison, Anchorage Daily News, 29 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tiny.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

alteration of Middle English tine

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tiny was in 1598

Dictionary Entries Near tiny

Cite this Entry

“Tiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tiny. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

tiny

adjective
ti·​ny ˈtī-nē How to pronounce tiny (audio)
tinier; tiniest
: very small : minute
tininess noun

More from Merriam-Webster on tiny

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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