Smallness: meaning, definitions and examples

General term to describe the state of being small in size or proportion. Often used in neutral contexts.

• The smallness of the room made it feel cozy.
• Despite the smallness of the company, it has a strong market presence.

Used to describe someone's small size in a more subjective or emotional way, often with a sense of endearment or affection.

• The littleness of the kitten made everyone smile.
• He couldn't help but notice the littleness of his daughter's hands.

Emphasizes the extremely small size of an object or person in an informal or playful manner. Can be used in both positive and negative contexts.

• The tininess of the toy astonished the children.
• Despite the tininess of his apartment, he managed to keep it well-organized.

Refers to something being extremely small, often used in a detailed or scientific context.

• The minuteness of the particles required a microscope to observe.
• The artist paid great attention to the minuteness of details in the painting.

Describes someone's small size in a delicate and graceful manner, often used to describe women's or girls' figures.

• Her petiteness made her look even younger than she was.
• The dress was specially tailored to fit her petiteness perfectly.

This is typically used to describe the physical size of an object or quantity in a neutral or descriptive manner.

• The smallness of the room made it feel cozy
• The smallness of the details in the painting is impressive

This word implies a lack of importance or value, usually in a more abstract or metaphorical sense.

• In the grand scheme of things, our actions may seem like mere insignificance
• The insignificance of the issue was apparent to everyone in the room

This is used to describe something that lacks importance or significance, often to emphasize it is not a priority.

• The unimportance of the task was evident, so we postponed it
• He felt that his contributions were regarded with unimportance

Use this word when referring to something that is not only small but also not worth considering or dealing with, often with a slightly dismissive tone.

• We shouldn't waste time on such trivialities
• The meeting was full of trivialities and didn't address the real issues

This term is often used in technical or scientific contexts to indicate that something is so small or minor that it can be disregarded.

• The error in the measurement was within the range of negligibility
• The differences between the two models are negligible