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small

small

80 1.0
Quiet and hard to hear
  • adjective
  • /smɔl/
translation icon : bajo
  • During the meditation session, she spoke in a small voice that filled the room with tranquility.
  • a small voice
  • a still, small voice

I think that's probably very good for for small amplitude sound waves.

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Examples

  • Smile, settle, smile slowly and let a small, confident, subtle smile form.

  • Outside, a mist like gauze was on the lakes, full of the small noises of ducks.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Gotta use your small inside voice in here, son.

  • Yes, his voice is very small.

  • Remember, that can be just a small tone, a mood.

  • "How did you do that?" was all she said, in a small, lost voice from a distant shore.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • From the loft above, she could hear small sounds as the children snuggled deeper into sleep.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • I've been feeling so small, watch the quiet ticking off the wall.

  • Just remember to listen to that small, soft voice, the one that you can't hear unless you're alone and quiet, and He has your full attention.

  • The realm of Ta Lo stretches far beyond the shores of our small village.

Synonyms

quiet
vssmall
1.0

Not making much noise

is more about being faint and barely audible than general calm
low
vssmall
797 1.0

Quiet and hard to hear

is about subtle gentle sound rather than just reduced volume
slight
vssmall
594 1.2

Small in amount or degree

is specifically about very soft or faint sound rather than general smallness
little
vssmall
496 1.1

Soft and quiet in voice

is similar but emphasizes gentleness and nuance
whispery
vssmall
2 4.1

Making a soft sound like a whisper

is faint and barely audible while also gentle and subtle
low-toned
vssmall
3.9

A voice or sound that is quiet and low

is gentler and often more barely audible than that

Antonyms

447 1.0

In a way that makes a lot of noise

18 4.7

Loud and energetic, like a happy crowd or party

Idioms

A difficult and impressive achievement

4 7.7

Worry too much about small, unimportant things

1 5.5

An important person in a small group who has more power than elsewhere

small wonder
  • Informal
1 4.4

Not surprising because the facts make it clear

1 9.3

People print words very small in documents to hide important details

You do a little at a time instead of trying everything at once

A small action that leads to a very large benefit for all people

Compounds

245 1.5

A community with few people and few shops

small talk
  • Informal
65 2.1

Polite short talk about simple topics like the weather

30 2.7

Used for projects or models that are not large

small arm
  • Specialized
20 4.9

A gun like a handgun or rifle that a person can carry

17 3.3

A large amount of money that is more than you expect

13 1.0

A boat that is small and used for short trips on lakes or rivers

11 2.8

A person who owns or runs a small company with fewer than 100 employees

10 2.3

A small amount of money in coins that is not worth much

small intestine
  • Specialized
10 3.4

A long narrow tube between the stomach and large bowel that digests food and takes in nutrients

9 2.0

A person who owns or works on a small farm to grow food

9 1.0

A small extra payment you give to use a service

5 1.8

A person who is shorter than most people and has a light build

5 3.8

Important details in an agreement or document printed in very small type

Part of the United States government that helps small businesses with loans and advice

4 4.9

A very early time in the morning soon after midnight

small-cap
  • Specialized
4 7.0

A company or stock with a small market value, often under one billion dollars

2 4.4

Wild animals like rabbits and pheasants that people hunt for food or sport

1 1.9

A letter that is not a capital letter

small cap
  • Specialized
1 6.3

A company on the stock market with a small market value

small fry
  • Offensive
1 6.9

People or groups seen as unimportant compared to others

1 6.3

An inner feeling that quietly tells you right from wrong

A small problem when people do not understand each other

A warm, friendly feeling in a small town where people know each other

small beer
  • Archaic
1 7.9

Something unimportant and not worth much attention

small cap
  • Specialized
1 6.9

A capital letter the same height as a small letter used for style

Animals like chickens or rabbits that people keep for eggs, meat and money

small fry
  • Informal
1 7.4

Young children who are not yet adults

small stuff
  • Specialized
1 8.6

A thin rope on a ship used for small tasks like tying or securing

1 5.8

With wings that are small for its body

small calorie
  • Specialized
6.3

Amount of heat that raises one gram of water by one degree Celsius at normal air pressure

5.8

A grass like reeds that grows in wet places like marshes, often in the southern United States

small capital
  • Specialized
7.7

A letter that looks like a big letter but is the height of a small letter used for emphasis

A low trailing plant of cold places that makes small red berries you can eat

A rude word for someone, often a man, who acts loud and angry to hide low confidence

small cell carcinoma
  • Specialized
6.7

A very serious cancer made of small round cells that grows and spreads quickly in the lungs

A small animal like a cat that is active at night and lives in Southeast Asian forests

A common way to connect a computer to devices like printers or hard drives

A tiny, not exact bit of something

An activity of searching for and shooting small wild animals and birds for food or sport

A company that gives small loans to people who cannot get bank loans

8.8

A small irregular galaxy near the Milky Way that you can see from the Southern Hemisphere

8.1

A shop on a ship where sailors buy personal items taken from their pay

small man syndrome
  • Offensive
8.2

A man who acts overly aggressive to hide feeling weak or less important

small slam
  • Jargon
9.2

A bridge result when players win all but one trick in a hand

small white aster
  • Specialized
8.7

A small plant that comes back each year with white daisy-like flowers

A baby who is much smaller and lighter than usual for their pregnancy length

A plant that produces small fruit

small-capitalization
  • Specialized
7.9

Of companies worth less than one billion dollars

An animal with ears that are small for its head

A large European tree with small dark green leaves often planted in parks

small-leaved linden
  • Specialized
8.1

A large European tree with small dark green leaves grown for its shade and beauty

A plant or crop with smaller parts inside its fruit than other kinds

5.1

Very small bits of dirty matter in the air that come from smoke and engines and can harm people's health

A belief in small communities that favors tradition and close relationships

A quiet inner feeling that tells you when something is wrong

How Loud

deafening
9 3.5
booming
3 3.4
loud
733 1.0
small
80 1.0
soft
  • Specialized
12 4.2
faint
148 2.7
silent
257 1.0

Surface Forms

small positive
smaller comparative
smallest superlative

Etymology

Small comes from an old German word smal meaning 'narrow' or 'thin'. A small voice is quiet or faint, like a narrow sound that is hard to hear.