# knee-high to a grasshopper

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/knee-high-to-a-grasshopper
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

short; especially relating to when the subject was a small child

## Examples

- I have known him since he was knee-high to a grasshopper.
- The old man laughed, remembering when his daughter was only knee-high to a grasshopper and loved playing in the garden.
- Returning to the village after decades away, he found it difficult to recognize the adults who were merely knee-high to a grasshopper when he last walked these streets.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.