small: is often interchangeable with little, but it applies more to relative size determined by capacity, value, or number: a small amount.     （relative相对、比较，是指"相比较而言"，如relatively late相对较晚，实际可能并不晚，只是和更早的比起来较晚；如相对论relativity，认为时间空间质量是相对概念relative concepts，是相对于参照系system of reference而言的；相反地，认为光速是绝对的absolute，在任何参照系下恒定不变，不受参照系限制，与参照系无关）


little: is more absolute in implication and often connotes less magnitude than is usual, expected, or desired: your pathetic ~ smile.   (magnitude表示尺寸规模程度重要性refers to the size, scale, degree, or importance of something，如magnitude of pulse脉冲幅度, the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 had a magnitude of 8.3 1906年旧金山地震的震级为8.3级, 如an order of magnitude一个数量级10倍，如we did not realize the magnitude of the problem没有意识到问题的重要性)     习语too little too late太小了太晚了


diminutive: implies exceptional or abnormal smallness: ~ gymnasts outshone her larger competitors.     exceptional(1)和exceptionable(2)都来自exception异常，但1是褒义，表示杰出  2是贬义，表示应当反对的


petite: applies chiefly to girls and women and implies marked smallness and trimness: specializing in clothing for ~ women.    （trim苗条a trim person is attractive because there is no extra fat on the body无多余脂肪，如the driver was a trim young woman of perhaps thirty司机是个大约 30 岁的身材苗条的年轻女子）


minute: implies extreme smallness: a beverage with only a ~ amount of caffeine.   如minute amounts of chemicals in the water水中含量极小的化学成分


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.    如a microscopic creature/particle/analysis/examination微生物/微粒/显微镜分析/检查，如the sandwiches were microscopic!三明治小得快看不见了


miniature: applies to an exactly proportioned reproduction on a very small scale: a doll house complete with ~ furnishings.      （如the model depicts the project in miniature模型是项目的微缩，和minute、diminutive小的一样来自词根MINI/U表示small, least小少，如minimalism简约主义minuscule很小的minutiae细节）


small小的: 常指相对较小，用于容积价值数量等，little小的: 指绝对地小，小于通常期望希望，diminutive小小的: 指异常地小，petite小、苗条: 指女子身材小而苗条，minute极小: 指极端地小，tiny极小: 同minute，但不及它正式，microscopic微小: 小到要用显微镜才能看见，miniature微缩: 指等比例的微缩


记忆方法: 1）首字母SLDPMTMM排列成STDLP送他的礼品3M口罩(小礼品)<==小的       "小"的字形像三颗细碎的粒状物，表示形体小，是"少"和"沙"字的初文

         2）练习一下

         3）小的的意思是小于平均尺寸mean noticeably below average in size. 首字母SLDPMTMM排列成STDLP送他的礼品3M口罩(小礼品)<==小的