Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective tall contrast with its synonyms?

The words high and lofty are common synonyms of tall. While all three words mean "above the average in height," tall applies to what grows or rises high by comparison with others of its kind and usually implies relative narrowness.

a tall thin man

When can high be used instead of tall?

Although the words high and tall have much in common, high implies marked extension upward and is applied chiefly to things which rise from a base or foundation or are placed at a conspicuous height above a lower level.

a high hill
a high ceiling

When would lofty be a good substitute for tall?

While in some cases nearly identical to tall, lofty suggests great or imposing altitude.

lofty mountain peaks

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 tall Pere David’s deer grow to be about 6-feet to 7-feet long and up to 4-feet tall, according to the Lincoln Park Zoo. Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 13 May 2025 Roman is described as Hispanic male with brown hair, brown eyes, 2 feet tall and weighing about 23 pounds. Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 May 2025 China has nearly half of all dams taller than 15 meters. Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025 Among the Americans taking hormones are many cisgender children and teen-agers who take human growth hormone in order to grow taller, or take birth control in order to regulate their periods or avoid pregnancy. S. C. Cornell, New Yorker, 2 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for tall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tall
Adjective
  • Similarly, home equity loans and lines of credit tend to have high interest rates: in the mid-8% range as of mid-May, according to Bankrate.
    Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 18 May 2025
  • United play a 3-4-3 formation under Ruben Amorim and push their wing-backs high.
    Jay Harris, New York Times, 17 May 2025
Adjective
  • Two of Elissa’s tumors were obliterated that day, but the third was too difficult to reach without repositioning Elissa’s body in a way that would have taken too much time under anesthesia.
    Kristen Jordan Shamus, USA Today, 19 May 2025
  • Luca Solca sector head for global luxury goods at Bernstein Clouding the picture further, many other premium Swiss watchmakers including Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, are privately owned, making their performance difficult to decipher.
    Karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 18 May 2025
Adjective
  • Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker combined to give this women’s basketball franchise an undeniable and towering allure, with three championship banners (2001, 2002, 2016) in the rafters.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 14 May 2025
  • Better yet, head to the east side of the park to Two Medicine Valley, which is full of trails leading to ice-blue backcountry lakes and towering peaks.
    Graham Averill, Outside Online, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • In this one-man show, Whitfield steps onstage not just as a performer, but as a guide—challenging, inspiring, and activating the ABFF community to transform their pain into purpose.
    DeMicia Inman, VIBE.com, 22 May 2025
  • The new bill, advocates said, is also expected to be particularly challenging for Native Americans who rely on tribal cards for identification ‒ which typically don't include place of birth, as the new law requires.
    Deborah Barfield Berry, USA Today, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • Being a careless jackass but also irresistibly charming is a tough needle to thread.
    Staff Author Published, EW.com, 22 May 2025
  • Dapple Baby takes this task very seriously, offering a fragrance-free formula that’s tough on stains yet gentle on newborn skin.
    Pamela Brill, Parents, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • Sandoval has received some pay bumps, including a temporary $10,000-a-year bonus for Hawaii special education teachers designed to alleviate shortages in that and other hard-to-staff areas.
    Alia Wong, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2023
  • For extra reliability, choose a suitcase with a hard shell crafted from either polycarbonate or aluminum.
    Austa Somvichian-Clausen, Travel + Leisure, 13 Feb. 2023
Adjective
  • Tom and Rhyan make a formidable duo on the right side of the line and Jenkins will move to center after spending most of his career at left guard.
    Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
  • Selling a descent from stress into a state of devastation that can never be shed (only briefly reprised) is the formidable actress Parinaz Izadyar.
    Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • The Bee has a rigorous policy relating to requests for anonymity.
    Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 23 May 2025
  • Hall, a former college football player, is quite the athlete and also gives fans a look into his rigorous workout regimen, which Khaled joined him for.
    Michael Saponara, Billboard, 23 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Tall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tall. Accessed 27 May. 2025.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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