miniscule
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Extremely small; tiny: Describes something of a very small size, amount, or degree. It is often used to emphasize how insignificantly small something is. (Note: The standard spelling is "minuscule." "Miniscule" is a common variant, but it is often considered a misspelling by language authorities.)
Examples of Usage
- Adjective:
- The handwriting in the ancient manuscript was miniscule and difficult to read.
- There is only a miniscule chance of that happening.
- The apartment had a miniscule balcony, just big enough for one chair.
Advanced Usage
- The word is frequently used in a comparative or superlative form to emphasize scale.
- The new model is minisculer than its predecessor.
- Of all the errors, this was the minisculest and easiest to fix.
Variants and Related Words
- Minuscule (adj): The standard and preferred spelling of the word, meaning extremely small.
- Minuscule (n): In typography and palaeography, a lowercase letter or a style of ancient handwriting using small, rounded letters.
- Minute (adj): Extremely small. (e.g., )
- Microscopic (adj): So small as to be visible only with a microscope; used figuratively to mean very small.
Synonyms
- Tiny
- Minute
- Microscopic
- Infinitesimal
- Negligible
Antonyms
- Enormous
- Massive
- Colossal
- Significant
- Substantial
Notes on Usage
- Spelling Note: While "miniscule" is very common in usage, it originated from a misspelling of "minuscule" (from Latin ). Many dictionaries now list it as a variant, but in formal or academic writing, "minuscule" is the recommended spelling.
- The word is used to describe not just physical size but also abstract concepts like chances, amounts, differences, or importance (e.g., a , a ).
Adjective
- very small
- a minuscule kitchen
- a minuscule amount of rain fell