Emily Dickinson Lexicon
Definition for Small (-er, -est)
small (-er, -est), adj. [OE 'slender, narrow'.] (webplay: diminish, gentle, great, less, little, mean, narrow, part, size, “small price,” “small sum,” soft, voice).
- Modest; simple; least ostentatious.
- Tiny; little; not large in size; [fig.] delicate; fragile.
- Slightest; faintest; least expressive.
- Lesser; less in scope; not as large in extent.
- Lowly; common; ordinary; ineffectual; of little ability.
- Softer in tone; lighter in hue.
- Finite; limited; [fig.] mortal.
- Diminutive; quiet; soft-spoken; [fig.] harmless.
- Insignificant; of little importance.
- Gentle; gradual; subtle; stealthy; nearly undetectable; almost not discernable.
- Minute; petite.
- Brief; momentary; minimal; fleeting.
- Few; not many; not numerous.
- Narrower; tighter; more confining.
- Young; of a minor age; [fig.] fresh; artless; innocent; childlike.
- Least spacious; less in size and dimension.
- Weak; faint; dim; dull; typical; trivial; trite; predictable; stereotypical.
- Insufficient; minor; preliminary; early; premature.
- Short in stature; lacking in height; deficient in size; [fig.] cowardly; lacking in courage.
- Microscopic; [fig.] hidden; invisible.
- Thin; slender; slim; narrow.
- Homely; plain.
- Abridged; reduced; manageable in size.
- Cheap; not expensive; not costly; not large in amount.
- Incomplete; imperfect; part of a whole; [fig.] fallible.
- Low; depressed; [fig.] underground; subterranean.
- Scanty; skimpy; disproportionate to need; [fig.] useless; pointless.
- Meaningless; inconsequential.
- Phrase. “vast and small”: large and little; [complementary pair] of all sizes; of various kinds.
- Phrase. “small town”: village; hamlet; settlement; pueblo.
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