Synonyms of diminutive

diminutive 1 of 2

adjective

as in small

of a size that is less than average

a single diminutive shrub on the edge of the lawn

Synonyms & Similar Words

• small
• little
• tiny
• pocket
• miniature
• puny
• fine
• smallish
• dinky
• slight
• dwarf
• undersized
• slender
• dwarfish
• pocket-size
• sparse
• undersize
• pygmy
• Lilliputian
• miniaturized
• pint-sized
• subnormal
• pocket-sized
• toylike
• half-pint
• poor
• pint-size
• shrimpy
• mini
• minuscule
• bantam
• stunted
• spare
• lacking
• microscopic
• microscopical
• insufficient
• micro
• inadequate
• bitty
• meager
• weeny
• teeny
• infinitesimal
• slim
• toy
• scrubby
• inappreciable
• wee
• meagre
• scarce
• teensy
• skimpy
• minim
• little bitty
• weensy
• stingy
• scant
• scanty
• runty
• minute
• pinpoint
• teeny-weeny
• teensy-weensy
• deficient
• minikin
• niggardly
• wanting
• capsule
• runtish
• bite-sized
• bite-size
• skimp

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• large
• considerable
• sizeable
• substantial
• big
• handsome
• sizable
• outsized
• great
• oversized
• massive
• outsize
• bulky
• enormous
• goodly
• grand
• giant
• gigantic
• oversize
• husky
• huge
• voluminous
• vast
• hefty
• whopping
• tremendous
• prodigious
• gargantuan
• tidy
• immense
• colossal
• monstrous
• stupendous
• mountainous
• mammoth
• heroic
• gross
• humongous
• generous
• monumental
• monolithic
• cavernous
• largish
• abundant
• staggering
• jumbo
• herculean
• appreciable
• titanic
• biggish
• ample
• galactic
• plentiful
• copious
• liberal
• hulking
• cyclopean
• healthy
• bountiful
• overscaled
• wide
• king-sized
• boxcar
• thick
• broad
• overscale
• king-size
• elephantine
• plenteous
• whacking
• Himalayan
• humungous
• fat
• heroical
• Brobdingnagian
• adequate
• infinite
• sufficient
• leviathan
• cosmic
• immeasurable
• Bunyanesque
• pharaonic
• incalculable
• boundless
• enough
• cosmical

diminutive

2 of 2

noun

də-ˈmi-nyə-tiv 

as in dwarf

a living thing much smaller than others of its kind

dik-diks, the diminutives of the antelope family

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dwarf
• shrimp
• miniature
• midget
• pigmy
• mini
• runt
• scrub
• peewee
• pygmy
• Tom Thumb
• mite
• bantam
• mannikin
• nubbin
• half-pint
• homunculus
• manikin
• hop-o'-my-thumb

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• giant
• monster
• mammoth
• behemoth
• colossus
• jumbo
• whale
• titan
• leviathan
• whopper

Synonym Chooser

How is the word diminutive distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of diminutive are little, miniature, minute, small, and tiny. While all these words mean "noticeably below average in size," diminutive implies abnormal smallness.

diminutive bonsai plants

When can little be used instead of diminutive?

The meanings of little and diminutive largely overlap; however, little is more absolute in implication often carrying the idea of petiteness, pettiness, insignificance, or immaturity.

your pathetic little smile

When would miniature be a good substitute for diminutive?

While in some cases nearly identical to diminutive, miniature applies to an exactly proportioned reproduction on a very small scale.

a dollhouse with miniature furnishings

When might minute be a better fit than diminutive?

In some situations, the words minute and diminutive are roughly equivalent. However, minute implies extreme smallness.

a minute amount of caffeine in the soda

How are the words small and little related as synonyms of diminutive?

Both small and little are often interchangeable, but small applies more to relative size determined by capacity, value, number.

a relatively small backyard

How do tiny and minute relate to one another, in the sense of diminutive?

Tiny is an informal equivalent to minute.

tiny cracks formed in the painting

Examples of diminutive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Well, yes, the diminutive, fast-talking actress is hilariously paired with the WWE star who’s somehow transformed himself into America’s most lovable big lug. —Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Aug. 2024

July 30, 2024 | New York Tucked within the expansive Native American halls of the American Museum of Natural History is a diminutive wooden doll that holds a sacred place among the tribes whose territories once included Manhattan. —Philip Marcelo, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 July 2024

Noun

Riv is a favored diminutive for Riviera Country Club, the venerable Pacific Palisades par-71 layout playing host to this week’s PGA Tour event that will include every golfer in the top 25 except Niemann and Cameron Smith, another LIV defector. —Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2023

And the Suns did lose twice to the Pelicans, whose diminutive Jose Alvarado pestered Paul like a relentless gnat. —Dallas News, 5 May 2022