tiny

adjective

ti·​ny ˈtī-nē How to pronounce tiny (audio)
tinier; tiniest
Synonyms of tinynext
: very small or diminutive : minute
tinily adverb
tininess noun
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
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One prompted stories of an old cowboy sitting alone on a porch, surveying a ghost town; another prompted stories about a sun rising over a meadow, where tiny creatures awakened and started to frolic. Literary Hub, 20 May 2026 The tiny glow-boosting beads burst upon contact to support elasticity and collagen production, making this an especially good pick for mature skin craving more cushion and bounce. Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 20 May 2026 The city has converted several former hotels into shelters and added a handful of tiny home microcommunities to move people indoors from encampments. Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 20 May 2026 But that is still only a tiny fraction of the 140 or so each day that typically crossed before the war. Reuters, NBC news, 20 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for tiny

Word History

Etymology

alteration of Middle English tine

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tiny was in 1598

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tiny. Accessed 22 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

tiny

adjective
ti·​ny ˈtī-nē How to pronounce tiny (audio)
tinier; tiniest
: very small : minute
tininess noun

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