diminutive
- 01 C1 Advanced
adj.extremely small in size.
adj.extremely or unusually small in physical stature or scale.
Simple“The diminutive actress looked tiny standing next to her tall co-star.”
In context“Despite her diminutive stature, she possessed a commanding presence that immediately silenced the crowded boardroom.”
- 02 C2 Proficiency
adj.describing a word form that shows something is small, young, or liked.
adj.pertaining to or creating a word form that denotes smallness, youth, or affection.
Simple“The word 'booklet' uses a diminutive suffix to show it is a small book.”
In context“The suffix '-kin' was once a common diminutive marker in Middle English, though it survives today primarily in surnames.”
UsageIn linguistics, it describes suffixes like '-let' or '-ling'.
Antonymsaugmentative - 03 C2 Proficiency
n.a word or name that has been changed to mean 'little' or to show you like someone.
n.a word form or suffix expressing smallness, youth, unimportance, or endearment.
Simple“'Kitty' is a common diminutive for a cat.”
In context“Many languages use diminutives not just to indicate size, but to convey a sense of intimacy or social closeness between speakers.”
Teacher's tipCommonly used when discussing nicknames like 'Johnny' for 'John' or 'doggy' for 'dog'.
“Shea Lacey, the quick-footed diminutive winger from Liverpool, made four appearances under three different managers last season.”
“She has created magnificent tapestries, including one featuring the oldest surviving figure sculpture – a diminutive carving known as The Lion Man – and another of a turbulent and mysterious skyscape.”
Inherited from Middle English diminutif, derived from Old French diminutif, derived from Latin dīminutīv|us, ~a, ~um (adjective), from dīminūt|us, ~a, ~um (participle), perfect passive participle of dīmin|uō, ~uere, ~uī, ~ūtum (verb). First attested in 1398.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.