tiny

adjective

ti·​ny ˈtī-nē How to pronounce tiny (audio)
tinier; tiniest
: 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 The battle for the next two years of partisan political control will be waged door-to-door, from California’s beachside suburban cul-de-sacs to the tiny farm towns in the state’s fertile Central Valley. Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2024 This 19 x 20 x 8.3-foot tiny home—made from a steel frame and flame-retardant foam wallboard—is fully waterproof, thermally insulated, and impossibly easy to assemble. Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Mar. 2024 Palley sees the potential for constructing villages of tiny homes for the housing insecure, or siting single or multiple tiny homes on church, nonprofit or publicly owned lands for the unhoused. Nicole Sours Larson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2024 Otepää, Estonia Surrounded by forests, lakes, hills, and valleys, this tiny town is renowned for its scenic natural beauty. Anne Olivia Bauso, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2024 The power of the tiny bag hand in hand with the status symbol that is Trader Joe’s can’t be beat. Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 8 Mar. 2024 The funds were supposed to cover the start up costs to shelter roughly a whopping 620 people per year in tiny homes, the letter stated. Theresa Clift, Sacramento Bee, 6 Mar. 2024 Norfolk was more than 500 miles from Westminster, Mass., the tiny town where Roger was an engineer for GE and Judy a teacher. Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Dogs in heat, tiny puppies, and dogs who are not vaccinated should also not be at the dog park, Munden said. Abigail Celaya, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tiny.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near tiny

Cite this Entry

“Tiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tiny. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tiny

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

More from Merriam-Webster on tiny

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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