From Middle English smal, from Old English smæl, from Proto-Germanic *smalaz, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)mal-, *(s)mel- ("small, mean, malicious").

• (British)
  • (RP) IPA: /smɔːl/ [smoːɫ]
• (America)
  • (America) IPA: /smɔl/
  • (cot-caught) IPA: /smɑl/
• (Australia, New Zealand) IPA: /smoːl/

small (comparative smaller, superlative smallest)

1. Not large or big; insignificant; few in number.

   Synonyms: little, microscopic, minuscule, minute, tiny, Thesaurus:small

   Antonyms: big, generous, large, Thesaurus:large

   • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter V, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC ↗:

     Here, in the transept and choir, where the service was being held, one was conscious every moment of an increasing brightness; colours glowing vividly beneath the circular chandeliers, and the rows of small lights on the choristers' desks flashed and sparkled in front of the boys' faces, deep linen collars, and red neckbands.

   A small serving of ice cream.

   A small group.

   1. Humiliated or insignificant.

      The bullies had succeeded in making him feel small.

      • 2015, Justin Bieber, Love Yourself:

        For all the times that you made me feel small / I fell in love, now I feel nothing at all

   2. Having a small penis, muscles, or other important body parts, regardless of overall body size.

      Synonyms: little, under-endowed (of genitals)

      Though over six feet tall, the man was very small and ashamed to undress.

2. (figuratively, incomparable) Young, as a child.

   Synonyms: little, wee, young

   Antonyms: adult, grown-up, old

   Remember when the children were small?

3. (writing, incomparable) Minuscule or lowercase, referring to written or printed letters.

   Synonyms: lowercase, minuscule

   Antonyms: big, capital, majuscule, uppercase

4. Evincing little worth or ability; not large-minded; paltry; mean.
   • 1851, Thomas Carlyle, The Life of John Sterling:

     A true delineation of the smallest man is capable of interesting the greatest man.

5. Not prolonged in duration; not extended in time; short.

   a small space of time

6. Synonym of little

   small science

7. (archaic) Slender, gracefully slim.
8. (especially, clothing, food or drink) That is small .

   I'll have a small coffee, thanks.

• French: petit, minuscule
• German: klein, gering
• Italian: piccolo, ristretto
• Portuguese: pequeno
• Russian: ма́ленький
• Spanish: pequeño, chico

• French: petit, jeune
• German: klein, jung
• Italian: piccolo, giovane
• Portuguese: pequeno, jovem
• Russian: ма́ленький
• Spanish: pequeño, joven

• Italian: minuscolo
• Portuguese: minúsculo
• Spanish: minúsculas

small (comparative smaller, superlative smallest)

1. In a small fashion

   Don't write very small!

2. In or into small pieces.
   • 2009, Ingrid Hoffman, CBS Early Morning for September 28, 2009 (transcription)

     That's going to go in there. We've got some chives small chopped as well.

3. (obsolete) To a small extent.
   • 1594, William Shakespeare, Lucrece (First Quarto), London: […] Richard Field, for Iohn Harrison, […], →OCLC ↗, line 1273:

     It small avails my mood.

4. (obsolete) In a low tone; softly.
   • c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act I, scene ii], line 49:

     That's all one: you shall play it in a mask, and / you may speak as small as you will.

small (nominalized)

1. (uncountable, especially, clothing, food or drink)

   Synonyms: S

2. (countable, especially, clothing, food or drink) An item labelled or denoted as being that size.

   Two smalls and a large, please.

3. (countable, especially, wrt, clothing) One who fits an item of that size.
4. (countable, rare) Any part of something that is smaller or slimmer than the rest, now usually with anatomical reference to the back.

small (smalls, present participle smalling; simple past and past participle smalled)

1. (obsolete, transitive) To make little or less.
2. (intransitive) To become small; to dwindle.
   • 1917, Thomas Hardy, The Clock of the Years:

     And smalled till she was nought at all.

1. Surname.