1
as in diminutiveness
the quality or state of being little in size
my grandmother was surprised by the smallness of the latest electronic devices
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in negligibility
the quality or state of being unimportant
regardless of its smallness, each act of kindness is ultimately rewarded
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smallness
The designer said she was inspired by the smallness of the human compared to the universe’s vastness.
—
Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
Her big band from the Land tour is present on this album to draw a loud counterpoint to the protagonist’s quest for smallness and silence.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
Mainstream culture has consistently glorified smallness as ideal for women’s health, but the key to high performance and aging well is strength over size.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 4 Feb. 2026
As microschools multiply, researchers are starting to track what happens when a model built on smallness starts to grow.
—Noah Alcala Bach, San Antonio Express-News, 24 Jan. 2026
Its relative smallness, however, prevents the initiation of the nuclear processes that could have turned it into a full-fledged star.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Compared to his siblings, Tusche was this tiny, delicate bundle and that smallness was the very first thing that caught my heart.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
That type of breaking is undisciplined indulgence that is normally meant to terrorize and threaten people and is driven by people who operate from a place of smallness, ego fragility, and fear of their own powerlessness.
—Brené Brown, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2025
Identify every instance of victim language, limitation beliefs, or smallness thinking.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
Her big band from the Land tour is present on this album to draw a loud counterpoint to the protagonist’s quest for smallness and silence.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
Mainstream culture has consistently glorified smallness as ideal for women’s health, but the key to high performance and aging well is strength over size.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 4 Feb. 2026
As microschools multiply, researchers are starting to track what happens when a model built on smallness starts to grow.
—Noah Alcala Bach, San Antonio Express-News, 24 Jan. 2026
Its relative smallness, however, prevents the initiation of the nuclear processes that could have turned it into a full-fledged star.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Compared to his siblings, Tusche was this tiny, delicate bundle and that smallness was the very first thing that caught my heart.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
That type of breaking is undisciplined indulgence that is normally meant to terrorize and threaten people and is driven by people who operate from a place of smallness, ego fragility, and fear of their own powerlessness.
—Brené Brown, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2025
Identify every instance of victim language, limitation beliefs, or smallness thinking.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smallness
Noun
-
My matzo balls took twice as long to cook according to her fineness in the video.—
Molly Baz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The term plant texture refers to the fineness or coarseness, roughness or smoothness, heaviness or lightness of a particular plant.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Cole framed his opening monologue like a prayer, with jokes about Teyana Taylor’s relationship status, 50 Cent’s pettiness and Nicki Minaj’s politics.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Lilian liked Anna, who was on the school board, knew what was going on, and gossiped matter-of-factly with neither pettiness nor zeal.—
Yiyun Li,
New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Problems shrink into insignificance.—
Shilo Urban,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Nov. 2025
-
Her difficulty lay in her distance from the random violence of insignificance.—
Rachel Cusk,
New Yorker,
24 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smallness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smallness. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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