small

small — adjective

1. having less size, quantity, or degree than what people think of as typical

1.形容詞A1
釋義

having less size, quantity, or degree than what people think of as typical

例句

The kitten was so small that it fit in Ramón's hand.

so + adjective + that-clause for result

Salma's family lives in a small house near the river.

同義詞
  • little

    more emotional or subjective; 'a little girl' can feel warmer than 'a small girl'

  • tiny

    much smaller than usual; stronger than small

  • compact

    small but neatly arranged; positive tone when describing devices or spaces

反義詞
  • large

    bigger than average in size or amount

  • big

    more general and slightly less formal than large

用法筆記

Used for both physical size and abstract quantities (a small number, a small fee).

常見錯誤

❌I have a little money' (when you mean not enough).
✅I only have a small amount of money.
💡'little' emphasises 'not enough'; 'small amount' is more neutral.

2. at an early stage of life — past the baby years but still very young

2.形容詞A2
釋義

at an early stage of life — past the baby years but still very young

例句

Sumin was very small when she first learned to swim.

used for children, not babies — implies toddler or young child age

The small children played together in the sandbox all morning.

同義詞
  • young

    broader — can describe anyone from babies to teenagers; less specific than small

  • little

    warmer and more affectionate in tone; 'a little boy'

反義詞
  • big

    used informally for older children: 'my big sister'

用法筆記

Only used for people who have passed the baby stage but are not yet school-age or just starting school. Not used for teenagers or adults.

常見錯誤

❌She has two small children, ages 14 and 16.
✅She has two teenage children.
💡'small' only describes very young children, not teenagers.

3. limited in what you do or in how many people or activities are involved

3.形容詞B1
釋義

limited in what you do or in how many people or activities are involved

例句

Gita runs a small business that sells handmade furniture.

collocation: small business

The bakery started on a small scale, selling only to neighbours at first.

collocation: on a small scale

同義詞
  • limited

    suggests a deliberate boundary rather than naturally small scope

  • modest

    slightly more formal; can imply humility about the scale

反義詞
  • large-scale

    covering a wide range or involving many people

4. of little significance and unlikely to create difficulties

4.形容詞A2
釋義

of little significance and unlikely to create difficulties

例句

The broken zipper was only a small problem, and we fixed it quickly.

Adaeze did not get angry about small mistakes in the report.

collocation: small mistake

同義詞
  • minor

    slightly more formal; common in writing (minor issue, minor injury)

  • trivial

    stronger — suggests something is not worth attention at all

反義詞
  • important

    mattering a lot; the opposite in significance

  • serious

    likely to cause problems; the opposite in impact

常見錯誤

❌It's a small problem — your car engine has completely failed.
✅It's a small problem
💡just a loose screw.' — Use this sense only for things that are genuinely not serious.

5. feeling ashamed, embarrassed, or less important than others, usually because of

5.形容詞B1
釋義

feeling ashamed, embarrassed, or less important than others, usually because of something someone said or did

例句

After losing the race, Allison felt very small and wanted to hide.

pattern: feel small

The manager's rude comments made Selim feel small in front of everyone.

pattern: make someone feel small

同義詞
  • ashamed

    more direct and common; focuses on guilt about a specific action

  • humiliated

    stronger — implies public embarrassment

反義詞
  • proud

    feeling good about oneself — the opposite emotional state

文法句型

feel + small

make + object + feel + small

用法筆記

Almost always follows verbs like feel, make, or look. Rarely used alone as a direct description ('He is small' would be interpreted as sense 1).

常見錯誤

❌I feel small because I ate too much.
✅I felt small after forgetting my best friend's birthday.
💡This sense is about shame or inadequacy, not physical size.

6. using the smaller form of a letter — such as 'a' instead of 'A'

6.形容詞A2
釋義

using the smaller form of a letter — such as 'a' instead of 'A'

例句

Christopher wrote his name in small letters at the bottom of the page.

collocation: in small letters

Hugo wrote his address in small letters on the envelope, as the form required.

同義詞
  • lowercase

    the technical term in printing and computing; more formal than small

反義詞
  • capital

    the larger form of a letter, used at the start of sentences and proper names

  • uppercase

    technical term for capital letters

常見錯誤

❌Write the title in small letters' (when titles usually take capitals).
✅Use a small letter for the first word after a semicolon.
💡Check style guides for capitalisation rules rather than assuming small is always correct.

small — adverb

small — noun