1
as in little
of a size that is less than average
a small cat who never weighed more than five pounds
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in off
small in degree
your chances of winning the lottery are so small that it's best not to count on it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in minor
lacking importance
reluctant to bring such a small matter to the boss's attention
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in petty
not broad or open in views or opinions
townspeople who were helpful to one another but who also could be small and intolerant
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Try This Instead
Try This InsteadFor
Try This
a small amount
small changes
small pieces
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 small
This sauce is also the perfect way to add just a small amount of unsweetened dark chocolate into your day.
—
Christina Manian, Health, 18 June 2025
These small transactions often lead to bigger, more damaging fraud if ignored.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 June 2025
These scopes will be able to resolve features as small as 8 inches (20 centimeters) on the lunar surface from an altitude of 31 miles (50 kilometers), according to Firefly.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 18 June 2025
Farmers watered their crops less, and saw smaller harvests as a result.
—Annika Merrilees, Sacbee.com, 7 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for small
Christina Manian, Health, 18 June 2025
These small transactions often lead to bigger, more damaging fraud if ignored.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 June 2025
These scopes will be able to resolve features as small as 8 inches (20 centimeters) on the lunar surface from an altitude of 31 miles (50 kilometers), according to Firefly.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 18 June 2025
Farmers watered their crops less, and saw smaller harvests as a result.
—Annika Merrilees, Sacbee.com, 7 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for small
Recent Examples of Synonyms for small
Adjective
-
Each day, heat impacts will last well into the night thanks to very warm overnight low temperatures offering very little in the way of relief.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
23 June 2025
-
Taylor, meanwhile, became a meme at the end of last year as fans couldn’t get enough of her performance as Young Nessarose, Elphaba’s little sister, in Wicked.—
Stephen Daw,
Billboard,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
Entering play Thursday, an off day for the Yankees, the reigning American League MVP had the highest average (.361), OPS (1.180), fWAR (6.1) and wRC+ (221) in baseball.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
26 June 2025
-
His hope is two off days — Wednesday’s game and the team’s off-day on Thursday — will put him in position to return to the lineup on Friday in Cincinnati.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 June 2025
Adjective
-
Trending Video Inside Lil Baby’s Stylish Atlanta Oasis Other minor, thoughtful details made this bed a special one to me.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
20 June 2025
-
There were some minor disadvantages to this method, Boyle admits, mostly due to Apple’s user-friendly camera software.—
Jake Kleinman,
Wired News,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
The film is described as an intense drama about two Palestinian refugees living in Athens, caught between petty scams and the hope of a better life in Germany.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
21 June 2025
-
In the end, what started as a petty doormat rivalry has turned into something much more joyful.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 June 2025
Adjective
-
And following a violent barn house showdown in which a diminutive, yet completely feral, octogenarian visibly grows new fangs, such suspicions are confirmed.—
Jon O'Brien,
IndieWire,
10 June 2025
-
One-quarter of the way through the 21st Century, high-end SUVs are one of the dominant categories in the automotive market — every brand from Acura to Volvo has them, in sizes ranging from diminutive to Brobdingnagian.—
Will Sabel Courtney,
Robb Report,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
That first leg ended 1-0 — a slim aggregate lead — and in the second leg back on Kiwi soil, the Australians won 2-0 with one of their goals a cruel deflection.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
21 June 2025
-
Trump’s decision to open a two-week negotiating window before deciding on striking Iran has offered a slim – if improbable – path to a peace deal between Iran and Israel.—
Frederik Pleitgen,
CNN Money,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
This was a shift from May, when Democrats had a slight advantage—48 percent planned to support Democrats, while 45 percent leaned toward Republicans, according to the pollster.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
-
Monday saw some dips and slight drops, but the market rebounded and closed up almost 1%.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
Adjective
-
In his quest for a definitive biography of Joyce as a cosmopolitan artist, above the parochial fray, Ellmann downplayed Joyce’s interest in politics.—
Eric Bulson,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2025
-
Rather, Colbert won after knocking, by his count, on 20,000 doors, wearing out several pairs of size 15 shoes and putting parochial concerns, such as wildfire prevention, disaster preparedness and flood control, at the center of his campaign.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Small.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/small. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share