15 other words for ‘small’

The word ‘small’ is frequently used in English, yet there are many other different words you can use instead to be more specific and make your writing more interesting.

Many synonyms for ‘small’ describe how the size of something – try some of the words below:

little“We’re organizing a little party for Granny,” Mum announced.
microscopicA microscopic amount of blood was found on her jacket.
miniatureThere is also a miniature railway which you can ride on.
minusculeHe gave a minuscule shake of his head.
minuteHe asked for minute details of what had happened.
teeny weeny (informal)There was a teeny weeny spider in the corner of the room.
tinyFrom the top of the hill, the cars looked tiny.

Other synonyms of ‘small’ talk about the amount of something, like these below:

meagreCopperfield struggled to live on his meagre allowance.
negligibleIn the desert, the annual rainfall is negligible.
paltry“Sir, that is a paltry sum of money!” Mr Bumble snorted.
poorThe wages for a waitress are very poor.

And there are some synonyms that are used for the importance of something, for example:

insignificant“It’s too insignificant an issue to argue about,” said my friend.
petty“Don’t worry me with petty matters,” she said, dismissively.
triflingTo a millionaire, a thousand pounds is a trifling sum.
unimportantTabloids often put seemingly unimportant stories on the front cover.

All opinions expressed on this blog are those of the individual writers, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Collins, or its parent company, HarperCollins.

Other Articles

What’s the difference between power and strength?

This week we are looking at two words which may be confused by learners of English: power and strength. power If someone has power, they are able to control other people and their activities. He believes the President has too much power. People in… Read More

What’s the difference between critic and critical?

This week we are looking at two words which may be confused by learners of English: critic and critical. critic Critic /ˈkrɪtɪk/ is a noun. A critic is a person who writes reviews and gives opinions in newspapers or on television about books, films, music,… Read More

What’s the difference between blame and fault?

This week we are looking at two words which may be confused by learners of English: blame and fault. blame If you blame someone for something bad that has happened, you think that they made it happen. Police blamed the bus driver for the accident. Don’t blame me! You can blame something on someone. Maya blames all her… Read More