microscopic

adjective

ˌmī-krə-ˈskä-pik How to pronounce microscopic (audio)
variants also microscopical
Definition of microscopicnext
as in tiny
very small in size even a microscopic speck of dust in the eye will cause pain

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of microscopic Researchers found microscopic residue inside pottery vessels, shedding light on how people brewed beer-like drinks from millet, rice, wheat and barley more than 3,000 years ago. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Scientists found them by dissolving away the mud and counting microscopic glass shards, remnants of the molten magma the eruption atomized into ultra-fine and rapidly cooling dust. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 9 Aug. 2026 These help keep microscopic organisms at bay and may contribute to odor control. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2026 Cyclosporiasis is caused by a microscopic parasite that contaminates food or water. — Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for microscopic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for microscopic
  1. tiny
  2. minuscule
  3. miniature
Adjective
  • Trade along the route remains tiny compared with major throughways like the Suez Canal and is dominated by Russian oil and gas, which – along with a few other LNG buyers in Asia – principally flow to China.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The amount of neutrino energy absorbed by the companion star, however, would be only a tiny fraction of the amount of energy the star emits on its own, so again, this is likely to have little effect.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of tiny
Adjective
  • Excess potassium, including the minuscule amounts of potassium-40, is excreted.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The film was made for a minuscule $750,000 before marketing costs.
    — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of minuscule
Adjective
  • But that identical physical phenomenon might soon change how miniature robots fly, float, and navigate complex environments.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Her sari—royal-purple silk stitched with miniature golden birds—hung straight down without any visible deviation in service to hips or buttocks.
    — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of miniature

Browse Nearby Words

micronizing
microscopic
microscopically
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Microscopic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/microscopic. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on microscopic

Nglish: Translation of microscopic for Spanish Speakers

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