mindmap root((小的)) small is often interchangeable with little, but it applies more to relative size determined by capacity, value, or number: a ~ amount. little is more absolute in implication and often connotes less magnitude than is usual, expected, or desired: your pathetic ~ smile. diminutive implies exceptional or abnormal smallness: ~ gymnasts outshone her larger competitors. petite applies chiefly to girls and women and implies marked smallness and trimness: specializing in clothing for ~ women. minute implies extreme smallness: a beverage with only a ~ amount of caffeine. tiny is an informal equivalent to minute: ~ cracks have formed in the painting. microscopic applies to what is so minute it can only be seen under a microscope: found ~ defect. miniature applies to an exactly proportioned reproduction on a very small scale: a doll house complete with ~ furnishings.