Added 2 October 2026

small

/smɔl/ adjective

In Latin: parvus, paulus Wiktionary

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about small at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Not large or big; insignificant; few in number.
A small serving of ice cream.
Humiliated or insignificant.
The bullies had succeeded in making him feel small.
Having a small penis, muscles, or other important body parts, regardless of overall body size.
Though over six feet tall, the man was very small and ashamed to undress.

adverb

In a small fashion
Don't write very small!
In or into small pieces.
To a small extent.

noun

One of several common sizes to which an item may be manufactured, smaller than a medium.
An item labelled or denoted as being that size.
Two smalls and a large, please.
One who fits an item of that size.

verb

To make little or less.
To become small; to dwindle.

Origin

From Middle English smal, smale, small, smalle, smel, smæl, from Old English smæl (“narrow, slim; slender; fine; small; quiet”), from Proto-West Germanic *smal, from Proto-Germanic *smalaz (“small”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)mal- (“small; little”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word