petite
petite — adjective
1. describing a female person who is short and slim, with a neat build
describing a female person who is short and slim, with a neat build
At five feet tall, Nina looked petite beside her basketball teammates.
linking verb: look petite
The actress was petite, but her voice filled the whole hall.
In the class photo, Mei looked petite between two taller girls.
The bride was petite, so the tailor shortened the sleeves twice.
On the poster, the singer looks petite next to her six dancers.
- tall
describes greater height rather than a short build
- large-framed
describes a broader body structure instead of a small one
文法句型
petite woman
petite frame
用法筆記
Usually sounds positive and is most often used about women and girls. For men, speakers normally choose words such as 'small', 'short', or 'slim' instead.
常見錯誤
2. made in a size range planned for women with shorter, smaller bodies
made in a size range planned for women with shorter, smaller bodies
This brand makes petite coats for women under five foot three.
petite + clothing noun
Lina found the same black trousers in the petite section downstairs.
shopping collocation: petite section
The website lets shoppers filter dresses by regular, tall, or petite sizes.
Because Aya is short, she usually orders petite jeans online.
The clerk said the blue suit also came in a petite size.
- small-size
sometimes overlaps, but it only suggests smaller measurements and not shorter body proportions
- short-fit
retail wording that stresses shorter proportions, though it is less standard than 'petite'
文法句型
petite jeans
petite size
petite section
用法筆記
Common on clothing labels, shopping filters, and store sections. It refers to body proportions for shorter women, not simply to having a smaller waist or chest measurement.
常見錯誤
petite — noun
1. a women's clothing size category made for shorter, smaller frames
a women's clothing size category made for shorter, smaller frames
The shop keeps petites on the back wall near the fitting rooms.
plural noun in shops: petites
My sister wears a petite, so regular skirts sit too low.
a petite = a size category
Ask the clerk whether this dress comes in petites before you pay.
The label says petite, but the sleeves are still too long.
Mina checked the rack of petites first and found a navy suit.
- regular size
the standard clothing range rather than the shorter-body range
- tall size
a range made for longer body proportions
文法句型
wear a petite
shop in petites
用法筆記
As a noun, this word often appears in store talk or on labels, especially in the plural form 'petites'. Distinguish it from adjective sense 2, where it directly modifies a clothing noun, as in 'petite jeans'.