📒 not large in size, number, degree, amount, etc.
- a small town/village/community
- A much smaller number of students passed than I had expected.
- a small amount/percentage/sample
📒 used to describe one size in a range of sizes of clothes, food, products used in the house, etc.
- The T-shirts come in small, medium and large.
- This is too big—have you got a small one?
📒 not as big as something else of the same kind
📒 young
- They have three small children.
- We travelled around a lot when I was small.
- As a small boy he had spent most of his time with his grandparents.
📒 slight; not important
- I made only a few small changes to the report.
- She noticed several small errors in his work.
- Everything had been planned down to the smallest detail.
📒 not doing business on a very large scale
- small companies/firms
- The government is planning to give more help to small businesses.
- a small farmer
📒 not written or printed as capitals
- Should I write ‘god’ with a small ‘g’ or a capital?
- She's a socialist with a small ‘s’ (= she has socialist ideas but is not a member of a socialist party).
📒 little; not much
- The government has small cause for optimism.
- They have small hope of succeeding.
📒 to be happy that a situation that is bad is not as bad as it could have been
- Well, at least you weren't hurt. I suppose we should be grateful for small mercies.
📒 an important person (in a small community)
📒 used to tell somebody not to worry about small details or things that are not important
📒 of all sizes or types
- all creatures great and small
📒 on a large/small scale
- The new delivery service has taken off in a big way.
- Many people are investing in a small way in the stock market.
- He then started spending money in a big way.
📒 used to express your surprise when you meet somebody you know in an unexpected place, or when you are talking to somebody and find out that you both know the same person
📒 to look or feel stupid, weak, ashamed, etc.
- There’s no need to make me look small in front of all these people.
- I felt really small when I realized how much time he’d spent on it.
📒 it is not surprising
- It is little wonder (that) she was so upset.
- (informal) No wonder you're tired—you've been walking for hours.
- No wonder you're still single—you never go out!
📒 the period of time very early in the morning, soon after midnight
- We worked well into the small hours.
- The fighting began in the early hours of Saturday morning.
- The party continued well into the early hours.
📒 it is not surprising
- It is small wonder (that) she was so upset.
- (informal) No wonder you're tired—you've been walking for hours.
📒 the voice of God or your conscience, that tells you to do what is morally right