Skip to main content
dwarfish

dwarfish

1 7.2
Much smaller than what is normal or expected
  • adjective
  • /ˈdwɔːrfɪʃ/
translation icon : enano
  • Father O'Rourke seemed almost dwarfish compared to the towering figure of the man in the dark jacket.
  • looked dwarfish
  • almost dwarfish
  • dwarfish man

Examples

  • The night nurse, so short as to seem almost dwarfish, had to stand on a stool to reach the top shelf.

  • Hawkins Bridge looked dwarfish.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The night nurse, so short as to seem almost dwarfish.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • And are you grown so high in his esteem; because I am so dwarfish and so low?

  • They are dwarfish, I would guess, although you would need the word of an expert to be sure.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • He looked dwarfish in his jacket.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • On the beach, a dwarfish statue gazes at them in anguish.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • She was a dwarfish woman with bulbous features and a crossed eye whom Diana knew by sight.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Now does he feel his title hang loose about him… like a giant's robe upon a dwarfish thief.

  • The pant legs have been cut off and hemmed, but the crotch of the trousers hangs down three inches too low, giving him a stumpy, dwarfish look.

    Fiction book (1993)

Synonyms

tiny
vsdwarfish
1.0

So small it can fit in your hand

points to unusual smallness specifically rather than plain smallness
miniature
vsdwarfish
101 3.6

Very small in size compared with the usual type

is the neutral adjective for being unusually small rather than a model case
teeny
vsdwarfish
  • Informal
78 1.0

Very small in size so you can hold it in one hand

is a neutral term for unusual smallness rather than casual speech
bitty
vsdwarfish
  • Informal
58 8.1

Very small, like a baby mouse

is a neutral descriptor of unusual smallness rather than casual slang
puny
vsdwarfish
56 3.4

Very small and weak, not impressive

is about unusual small size rather than weakness or lack of power
minuscule
vsdwarfish
37 4.4

Very small in size or amount

is about unusual smallness rather than stressing extreme minuteness
diminutive
vsdwarfish
20 6.8

Very small in size

is similar but focuses on unusual smallness without extra emphasis
bitsy
vsdwarfish
  • Informal
17 6.3

Very small in a way that seems cute

is the neutral unusual smallness without the cute or affectionate tone
itsy
vsdwarfish
  • Informal
16 5.1

Very small in size, like a tiny coin

is the straightforward term for being unusually small rather than playful usage
smallish
vsdwarfish
10 2.0

A little smaller than usual

indicates a stronger, unusual smallness rather than only slight smallness
teeny-weeny
vsdwarfish
  • Informal
8 6.3

A very small thing that is much smaller than usual

is the standard descriptor for being unusually small, not playful speech
undersized
vsdwarfish
8 3.3

Smaller than the normal size for its kind

is focused on being unusually small rather than just below standard size
pint-sized
vsdwarfish
  • Informal
7 4.2

Very small, often used for a person, animal, or thing that is lively

is similar but used more broadly for unusually small size
teensy-weensy
vsdwarfish
  • Informal
7 7.7

Very small and hard to see

is a neutral term for unusual smallness rather than playful informality
runty
vsdwarfish
  • Informal
1 7.8

Smaller and weaker than others of the same kind

is about unusual small size without implying stunted growth or weakness
shrimpy
vsdwarfish
  • Offensive
1 7.7

A person who is smaller and thinner than others

is a neutral descriptor of unusual smallness rather than an informal label
miniscule
vsdwarfish
  • US
1 4.3

Very small and easy to miss

covers the same idea but highlights unusual smallness over sheer tininess
dwarflike
vsdwarfish
1 5.3

Small in size with short features like a tiny person

is the general term for unusual smallness rather than likeness to a person
lilliputian
vsdwarfish
9.9

Very small or unimportant

is literal unusual smallness rather than implying lack of importance
shrimplike
vsdwarfish
6.0

A person or thing that seems very small and weak

is literal unusual smallness rather than a figurative lack of effect
petit
vsdwarfish
7.1

Small in size or amount, often used in law and food

is general unusual smallness rather than a context-bound smallness
teentsy
vsdwarfish
  • Informal
8.4

So small that you can hardly see it

is the plain adjective for unusual small size rather than slangy tiny

Antonyms

1.0

Higher than most people or things of the same kind

How Small

minute
5.8
dwarfish
1 7.2
tiny
1.0
small
2 1.1

Surface Forms

dwarfish positive

Morphology

dwarfish = dwarf (transparent) = dwarf + ish

The word 'dwarfish' is transparently derived from 'dwarf' with the suffix '-ish' indicating 'having the quality of'.

Etymology

Dwarfish comes from the word dwarf, a small mythical person, plus the ending -ish, which means 'like'. So something dwarfish is 'like a dwarf' and is therefore unusually small or much smaller than expected.