Diminutive
Extremely small; a shortened or affectionate form of a name.
adjectiveDiminutive
Extremely small; a shortened or affectionate form of a name.
adjectiveImagine This
Imagine a tiny toy house sitting on a desk next to a full-size house; the toy is diminutive, barely taller than a paperclip.
Sounds Like
dih-MIN-yuh-tiv
Looks Like
Resembles words meaning small (minuscule, miniature); contains mini, signaling smallness.
Remember This
Diminutive comes from Latin diminutus meaning 'made smaller' and is often used to describe small objects or to form affectionate nickname forms; it's also used in grammar to denote a smaller or endearing variant of a word.
Other Forms
Connect With
diminish, minuscule, minute, tiny, petite
Note
Be careful not to confuse the adjective sense with the noun 'diminutive' which can refer to a shortened form or nickname. Also note the distinction between 'minute' meaning tiny and 'minute' meaning a unit of time.