tiny

adjective

ti·​ny ˈtī-nē 

tinier; tiniest

: very small or diminutive : minute

tinily

ˈtī-nə-lē 

adverb

tininess

ˈtī-nē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of tiny

• minuscule
• microscopic
• miniature
• small

Choose the Right Synonym for tiny

small, little, diminutive, minute, tiny, miniature mean noticeably below average in size.

small and little are often interchangeable, but small applies more to relative size determined by capacity, value, number.

a relatively small backyard

little is more absolute in implication often carrying the idea of petiteness, pettiness, insignificance, or immaturity.

your pathetic little smile

diminutive implies abnormal smallness.

diminutive bonsai plants

minute implies extreme smallness.

a minute amount of caffeine in the soda

tiny is an informal equivalent to minute.

tiny cracks formed in the painting

miniature applies to an exactly proportioned reproduction on a very small scale.

a dollhouse with miniature furnishings

Examples of tiny in a Sentence

The computer chips were tiny.

He's from a tiny town that you've probably never heard of.

There's just one tiny little problem.

Aren't you even a tiny bit scared?

Recent Examples on the Web

Mayor Kevin McCarty outlined plans to build more tiny homes, bring a Major League Baseball team to Sacramento and lobby for changes to the state court system that would connect people with severe mental illness to potentially lifesaving services. — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 6 Nov. 2026

But in a real Earth-threatening scenario, even such a tiny shift could help divert an asteroid on a collision course — as long as scientists get enough advance warning of its approach. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 6 Nov. 2026

The tiny containers – which hold the tools to fix DNA misspellings and guide them to the right place – are considered safer than the older method of ferrying the drug through the body inside the shell of an inactivated virus. — Gerry Smith, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2026

Broward’s tiniest municipality, Lazy Lake, is missing from the list. — Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 6 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

alteration of Middle English tine

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing tiny

• tiny house

Rhymes for tiny

• briny
• piney
• shiny
• spiny
• sunshiny

Kids Definition

tiny

adjective

ti·​ny ˈtī-nē 

tinier; tiniest

: very small : minute

tininess noun