diminutive

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /dəˈmən.jə.təv/ UK /dɪˈmɪn.jə.tɪv/ See IPA manual

Freq #45020

Meanings

1

adj
very small

Diminutive in stature.
2

adj
Very small.

Mrs. Washington ("Oh, la, call me Martha, Boys") is a diminutive woman with a cheerful rather than happy air, who seems to bustle even when standing still..
3

noun
A word form expressing smallness, youth, unimportance, or endearment.

Booklet, the diminutive of book, means ‘small book’.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · very small wee

2 adj · very small. lilliputian tiny

3 noun · a word form expressing... nomen deminutivum

Word family

Derived forms diminutivelydiminutivenessdiminutivisediminutivizenondiminutiveundiminutive

Related forms diminish diminutiondiminutizationdiminutizedimwithypocorisminterjections

Etymology

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.

Topics

Describing Qualities Language & Linguistics Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# diminutive

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** /dəˈmən.jə.təv/
**IPA (UK):** /dɪˈmɪn.jə.tɪv/
**Frequency rank:** 45020

## Meanings
1. very small
2. Very small.
3. A word form expressing smallness, youth, unimportance, or endearment.

## Examples
- Diminutive in stature.
- Mrs. Washington ("Oh, la, call me Martha, Boys") is a diminutive woman with a cheerful rather than happy air, who seems to bustle even when standing still..
- Booklet, the diminutive of book, means ‘small book’.

## Synonyms
- wee
- lilliputian
- tiny
- nomen deminutivum

## Derived Forms
- diminutively
- diminutiveness
- diminutivise
- diminutivize
- nondiminutive
- undiminutive

## Related Forms
- diminish
- diminution
- diminutization
- diminutize
- dimwit
- hypocorism
- interjections

## Etymology
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.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Language & Linguistics
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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