tiny

adjective ti·ny \ ˈtī-nē \

Updated on: 10 Dec 2017

Definition of tiny

tinier; tiniest

: very small or diminutive : minute

—

tinily

play \ˈtī-nə-lē\ adverb

—

tininess

play \ˈtī-nē-nəs\ noun

See tiny defined for English-language learners

See tiny defined for kids

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 of tiny from the Web

Four days after Irma dumped wrack and wreckage on this tiny island, its residents were deep into the blisteringly hot wait for food, electricity and water.

— steve hendrix, chicagotribune.com, "'It's not the storm — it's the aftermath': In Irma's wake, searching for normal in the Florida Keys," 17 Sep. 2017
The pancakes might be the new contender for best in L.A.; the pair of thick, saucer-sized pancakes come served in a tiny cast iron pan, adorned with diced butternut squash and sage butter.

— brittany martin, Los Angeles Magazine, "Dominique Ansel’s First Restaurant Offers a Brunch Unlike Any Other in L.A.," 3 Nov. 2017
That suggests the airline’s main function: to put the tiny emirate on the world stage.

— The Economist, "The airline industry’s most outspoken boss goes global," 2 Nov. 2017
The voice of the rest of us, the majority, gets really, really tiny in their ears.

— jason hancock, kansascity, "In race for state Senate, here’s where Lee’s Summit candidates stand on issues," 2 Nov. 2017
Residents and landowners from the tiny Hogg Hummock community on remote Sapelo Island sued the state and McIntosh County in December 2015.

— Washington Post, "Judge won’t dismiss discrimination suit by slave descendants," 1 Nov. 2017
By the end of the night, each of your children is likely to be in possession of a pillowcase, heavy with tiny candy bars, taffy and the occasional box of raisins.

— kirby adams, The Courier-Journal, "Swap your leftover candy for a $5 gift card, plus help make the troops happy," 31 Oct. 2017
Perhaps no place was hit harder by Harvey than Rose City, a tiny community tucked between the sprawl of Houston and the Louisiana border, where Lee has lived for about four decades.

— annie lowrey, The Atlantic, "Americans Are Sending Too Much Stuff to Houston," 25 Oct. 2017
The virulent campaign has made inroads in the European Union member of 10.6 million, despite having a tiny Muslim community.

— ladka mortkowitz bauerova, Bloomberg.com, "Billionaire Carves Up Czech Politics by Forswearing Extremists," 28 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tiny.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of tiny

alteration of Middle English tine

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1598

See Words from the same year

tiny Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of 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

TINY Defined for English Language Learners

tiny

adjective

Definition of tiny for English Language Learners

: very small

TINY Defined for Kids

tiny

adjective ti·ny \ ˈtī-nē \

Definition of tiny for Students

tinier; tiniest

: very small

Learn More about tiny

See words that rhyme with tiny Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for tiny Spanish Central: Translation of tiny Nglish: Translation of tiny for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of tiny for Arabic speakers

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tiny

Definition of tiny

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Examples of tiny in a Sentence

Recent Examples of tiny from the Web

Origin and Etymology of tiny

tiny Synonyms

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TINY Defined for English Language Learners

tiny

Definition of tiny for English Language Learners

TINY Defined for Kids

tiny

Definition of tiny for Students

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