tiny

adjective

ti·​ny ˈtī-nē How to pronounce tiny (audio)
tinier; tiniest
Synonyms of tiny
: very small or diminutive : minute
tinily
ˈtī-nə-lē How to pronounce tiny (audio)
adverb
tininess
ˈtī-nē-nəs How to pronounce tiny (audio)
noun

Synonyms of tiny

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Jet Fans of the New York Jets will adore this slick moniker for a tiny tyke. — Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 1 Sep. 2026 That’s a tiny gain—enough for the World Anti-Doping Agency to ban growth hormone and substances that boost its production in competitive sports, but not enough for your average gym-goer to notice at all. — Lori Youmshajekian, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2026 View gallery - 4 images This tiny store perched 120 meters (394 feet) above the ground on a vertical cliff face has deservedly earned the name of being the world's most inconvenient convenience store. — New Atlas, 1 Sep. 2026 The experiment uses 10 tonnes of ultrapure liquid xenon to look for tiny flashes of light produced when particles interact with xenon atoms. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 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

Phrases Containing tiny

Rhymes for tiny

See All Rhymes for tiny

Browse Nearby Words

tinwork
tiny
tiny house
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tiny. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

tiny

adjective
ti·​ny ˈtī-nē How to pronounce tiny (audio)
tinier; tiniest
: very small : minute
tininess noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All