Synonyms of dwarf

dwarf 1 of 3

noun

ˈdwȯrf 

1

as in elf

an imaginary being usually having a small human form and magical powers

Snow White and the seven dwarfs

Synonyms & Similar Words

• elf
• fairy
• goblin
• troll
• gnome
• pixie
• sprite
• faerie
• leprechaun
• brownie
• kobold
• fay
• puck
• hobgoblin
• gremlin
• little people
• changeling
• ghoul
• kelpie
• ogre
• banshee
• imp
• hag
• nixie

2

as in diminutive

something (such as an animal) much smaller than others of its kind

Shetland ponies are the dwarfs of the horse world

Synonyms & Similar Words

• diminutive
• toy
• midget
• mini
• miniature
• runt
• scrub
• pygmy
• mite
• peewee

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

3

as in nobody

a person of no importance or influence

it would be ridiculous to compare the two sculptors—one's a giant of the art world and the other's a dwarf

Synonyms & Similar Words

• nobody
• cipher
• lightweight
• nothing
• zero
• number
• half-pint
• puppet
• twerp
• pygmy
• whippersnapper
• inferior
• pip-squeak
• nonentity
• insignificancy
• snippersnapper
• nullity
• morsel
• zilch
• no-name
• least
• insect
• reject
• noncelebrity
• obscurity
• nonperson
• outcast
• figurehead
• mediocrity
• pariah
• unperson

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• somebody
• figure
• personage
• leader
• eminence
• chief
• big wheel
• magnate
• kingpin
• star
• nabob
• head
• lead
• VIP
• planet
• notable
• celebrity
• personality
• superstar
• kahuna
• bigwig
• big shot
• luminary
• authority
• power
• superior
• party
• great power

dwarf

2 of 3

verb

as in to halt

to hold back the normal growth of

shrubs dwarfed by the lack of water

Synonyms & Similar Words

• halt
• suppress
• shrink
• stop
• diminish
• stem
• block
• stunt
• catch
• stall
• stay
• arrest
• check
• hold back
• hold up
• impede
• still
• obstruct
• balk
• downsize

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• forward
• encourage
• promote
• foster
• advance
• boost
• nurture
• nourish

dwarf

3 of 3

adjective

as in dwarfish

Related Words

• dwarfish
• pygmy
• little
• petite
• low-lying
• short
• diminutive
• compact
• small
• smallish
• miniature
• tiny
• half-pint
• slight
• puny
• sawed-off
• mini
• pocket
• low-slung
• dinky
• undersized
• pocket-size
• low
• pint-size
• teeny
• wee
• bitty
• stumpy
• stunted
• stubby
• dumpy
• squat
• squatty
• scrubby
• minimized
• bantam
• minute
• teeny-weeny
• flat

Dissimilar Words

• tall
• towering
• high
• lofty
• lifted
• elevated
• raised
• uplifted
• statuesque
• large
• lanky
• high-rise
• altitudinous
• big
• rangy
• sizable
• upswept
• bulky
• oversize
• voluminous
• outsize
• hefty
• gangling
• largish
• gangly
• hulking

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of dwarf

Noun

As virality goes, this is not a big number, but the passion that the account has aroused dwarfs its reach. — David Kamp, New Yorker, 29 June 2026

Major props to the dwarfs who saw this as a convenient way to score help in the cleaning department. — Lincee Ray, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026

Verb

The planned 2026 investments of just four Big Tech firms—Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft—already dwarf the South Korean investment figure by nearly $200 billion. — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 30 June 2026

The total spending in this year's primary contest between Bennet and Weiser, at nearly $23 million, dwarfs that in the GOP race. — Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 30 June 2026

Adjective

Yee noticed some of the remaining trees, also dwarf jades, were developing corking bark. — Marie Saavedra, CBS News, 25 May 2026

An unusual collection of stars may represent the remnants of a dwarf galaxy that the Milky Way devoured about 10 billion years ago. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 23 May 2026