smallness

/'smɔ:lnis/

Thân thiện

The smallness of the kitten made it seem even more adorable.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • The quality or state of being small in size: The property of having dimensions that are less than average or usual.
   • The quality of being small in amount, degree, or number: The property of constituting a relatively little quantity.
   • Lack of generosity; pettiness: The quality of being concerned with trivial matters or being mean-spirited.
   • Relative lack of strength or intensity: The property of having little force, vigor, or volume.

Examples of Usage

• Referring to physical size:
  • The smallness of the apartment made it feel cozy but cramped.
  • He was surprised by the smallness of the seeds.
• Referring to amount or degree:
  • The smallness of the donation was disappointing.
  • We were grateful for the smallness of the price increase.
• Referring to character (pettiness):
  • I was frustrated by the smallness of their arguments.
  • The smallness of his actions revealed his true nature.
• Referring to strength or volume:
  • The smallness of her voice forced her to use a microphone.
  • The engine's smallness limited its power output.

Advanced Usage

• "smallness of mind": Refers to pettiness, narrow-mindedness, or a lack of intellectual breadth.
  • His prejudice was a clear sign of his smallness of mind.
• "smallness of scale": Indicates something is limited in scope, size, or extent.
  • The project's smallness of scale allowed for careful attention to detail.

Variants and Related Words

• Small (adj): Of limited size; not big or large.
  • They live in a small town.
• Smallish (adj): Fairly small or moderately small.
  • He bought a smallish car.
• Small-minded (adj): Having a narrow or petty perspective.
  • It was a small-minded policy.

Synonyms

• Minuteness: Extreme smallness in size.
• Petiteness: The quality of being small and delicately built.
• Insignificance: The quality of being too small or unimportant to be worth consideration.
• Meanness: Lack of generosity; pettiness.

Antonyms

• Largeness: The quality of being large in size, amount, or degree.
• Generosity: The quality of being kind, understanding, and not selfish.
• Grandeur: Splendor and impressiveness, especially of appearance or style.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Smallness of the world: An expression of surprise when encountering unexpected connections or coincidences, implying the world feels interconnected and not so large.
  • Running into you here really shows the smallness of the world!

Học thuật

Noun

1. lack of generosity in trifling matters
2. the property of having relatively little strength or vigor
   • the smallness of her voice
3. the property of being a relatively small amount
   • he was attracted by the smallness of the taxes
4. the property of having a relatively small size

Từ đồng nghĩa

• pettiness
• littleness