Meaning & use
small
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Not large in size, number or amount compared with what is normal or expected.
Grammar: Can come before a noun or after a verb: a small house, the house is small.
Patterns
- small for your age
- a small number of things
She lives in a small apartment near the park.
A small number of students failed the test.
The shoes were too small for him.
adjectivecomparable
Of little importance, seriousness or effect.
Grammar: Often used before nouns like problem, mistake, detail: a small mistake.
Patterns
- a small matter
It was only a small mistake, and easy to fix.
Don't worry about small details.
The delay is a small price to pay for safety.
adjectivebefore a noun
Young, especially as a child.
Grammar: Used before a noun, often with children: small children.
Patterns
- when you were small
She was afraid of dogs when she was small.
Small children need a lot of sleep.
He remembered the house from when he was a small boy.
adjectivebefore a noun
Operating on a limited scale, as a business or organization.
Grammar: Used before nouns like business, firm, farm: a small business.
Patterns
- a small business
Her parents run a small bakery.
Small farms struggle to compete with big ones.
Small companies create many new jobs.
Word forms
| comparative | smaller |
|---|---|
| superlative | smallest |
Common combinations
- small business
- Local small businesses benefit from the new tax rules.
- small talk
- We made small talk while waiting for the bus.
- small print
- Always read the small print before signing.
- small change
- I only had small change in my pocket.
- a small fortune
- The repairs cost a small fortune.
- small hours
- He worked until the small hours of the morning.
Synonyms and how they differ
- little
- Little often adds warmth or affection and is less common after a verb, unlike small.
- tiny
- Tiny means extremely small, stronger than small.
- compact
- Compact suggests something small but neatly designed to use space well.
- minor
- Minor refers to low importance rather than physical size.
Opposites
Word family
- smallness noun
- the state of being small
- smallish adjective
- fairly small
- smallpox noun
- a serious disease now eliminated
- smallholding noun
- a very small farm
Commonly confused: small or short?
small vs short
Short describes height or length, while small describes overall size; a short person is not necessarily a small one.
Practice
Which sentence uses small in the sense of unimportant?
Choose one answer.
A small mistake is a minor one. The other sentences refer to physical size or scale of business.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “small”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.