tall en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- [tʰoːɫ] (Received-Pronunciation)
- /toːl/ (British, Southern, Standard)
- /tɑl/ (cot-caught-merger)
- (Received-Pronunciation) audio
- /toːl/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
- (US) audio cot-caught
- /tɔl/ (Scotland)
- /tɔːl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /taːl/ (Northumbria)
- /tɔl/ (General-American)
Etymology
From Middle English tall, talle, tal (“seemly, becoming, handsome, good-looking, excellent, good, valiant, lively in speech, bold, great, large, big”), from Old English *tæl, ġetæl (“swift, ready, having mastery of”), from Proto-Germanic *talaz (“submissive, pliable, obedient”), from Proto-Indo-European *dol-, *del- (“to aim, calculate, adjust, reckon”). Cognate with Scots tal (“high, lofty, tall”), Old Frisian tel (“swift”), Old Saxon gital (“quick”), Old High German gizal (“active, agile”), Gothic 𐌿𐌽𐍄𐌰𐌻𐍃 (untals, “indocile, disobedient”). The Oxford English Dictionary notes: "The sense development [of tall] is remarkable, but is paralleled more or less by that of other adjectives expressing estimation, such as buxom, canny, clean, clever, cunning, deft, elegant, handsome, pretty, proper; German klein, as compared with English clean, presents the antithesis to modern tall as compared to tall in early Middle English. It has been conjectured that in the sense 'high of stature' it is a different word, adopted from the Welsh tal in some sense; but the latter is, according to Professor Rhŷs, merely a 16th-century borrowing of the English word (in Owen Pughe's Dictionary erroneously mixed up with the genuine Welsh word tal (“end, brow, forehead”), with which it has no possible connection.)"
Meanings
-
(of a person or two-footed creature, qualifier:literal) Having a top that is far up (contrast: deep (having a bottom that is far down' ).) ▸ Having great vertical extent (usually reckoned from the bottom of the feet to the very top of the head) when standing. (For instance, somebody with a height of over 6 feet would generally be deemed tall.)
He′d been packed in with all the other journos, standing out only in that he was taller than most and didn′t make as much noise.
2000, Robert Bingham, Lightning on the Sun, page 34:Being tall is an advantage in basketball.
Then came a maid with hand-bag and shawls, and after her a tall young lady. She stood for a moment holding her skirt above the grimy steps,[…], and the light of the reflector fell full upon her.
1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:Ostriches are the tallest living birds.
-
(of an inanimate thing, qualifier:literal; such as a building; hill; lamp; such as a building; hill; lamp, usually) Having a top that is far up (contrast: deep (having a bottom that is far down' ).) ▸ Having its top a long way up; having a great vertical (and often greater than horizontal) extent.
To him it seemed that the Bornean rainforests, the tallest on Earth, were places that had: 'remained untouched and unchanged since remote geological epochs[.]'
2018, Tim Flannery, Europe: A Natural History, page 55:Tall trees, at least about 30m high.
- (US, of a cup of coffee, qualifier:literal; specialized; specialized) Having a top that is far up (contrast: deep (having a bottom that is far down' ).) ▸ Smaller than grande, usually 8 ounces (~ 230 ml).
-
(of a story) Hard to believe, such as a tall story or a tall tale.
"That's tall talk." "Not an inch taller than the truth."
1870, The Cornhill Magazine, volume 21, page 9:
- (obsolete) Old senses that arose before the height-related senses ▸ Obsequious; obedient.
- (obsolete) Old senses that arose before the height-related senses ▸ Seemly; suitable; fitting, becoming, comely; attractive, handsome.
- (obsolete) Old senses that arose before the height-related senses ▸ Bold; brave; courageous; valiant.
- (archaic) Old senses that arose before the height-related senses ▸ Fine; proper; admirable; great; excellent.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| tallest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| taller | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Antonyms
short · short · low-rise · short · deep · low · shallow
Coordinates
Deriveds
big and tall · tall trees catch much wind · tall pawn · tall tale · feel nine feet tall · tallsome · mackerel sky and mare's-tails make tall ships carry low sails · feel eight feet tall · tall meadowrue · tall oil · tall pocosin · tall man · tallgrass · tall thistle · tall story · tallie · tally · walk tall · tall poppy · tall glass of water · tall oaks from little acorns grow · keep it tall · tall fescue · cut down the tall poppy · feel twelve feet tall · tall one · plain tall · tall-case clock · tall poppy syndrome · tall order · stand tall · ride tall in the saddle · tall ship · megatall · tall drink of water · tallness · tall reed · tall drink · tall nightshade · supertall · tall, dark and handsome · feel ten feet tall · tallish · untall · tall in the saddle · tall bluestem · tall s
Descendants
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
towering · mountainous · topless · Patagonian · skyscraping · cloudcapt · sky-high · reedy · statuesque · lanky · giant · soaring · gangly
Synonyms
high · tall · exalted · eminent · elevated · lofty · high
Translations (227)
sh vìsok (of a building) · he גָּבוֹהַּ \ גָּבֹהַּ (of a person) · tt биек (of a person) · bn লম্বা (of a person) · sh вѝсок (of a person) · kxd tinggi (of a person) · hi लम्बा (of a story) · ru высо́кий (of a building) · th สูง (of a building) · tg қадбаланд (of a person) · eo alta (of a person) · ta உயரமான (of a building) · qu hatun (of a person) · liv pitkā (of a person) · arz طويل (of a person) · sv hög (of a building) · de lang (of a person) · tg калон (of a cup of coffee) · tr uzun (of a story) · liv kuordõ (of a building) · eo alta (of a building) · kk зәулім (of a building) · vec alt (of a building) · nan-hbl 懸 /悬 (of a building) · ka მაღალი (of a building) · pl wysoki (of a person) · mr उंच (of a person) · mrw malekeiog (of a person) · de groß (of a person) · fi pitkä (of a person) · it alto (of a building) · akl mataas (of a person) · af hoog (of a building) · ms tinggi (of a building) · rup analtu (roa-rup) (of a building) · ur لمبا (of a building) · hy բարձր (of a building) · fi korkea (of a building) · kum бийик (of a building) · bg висо́к (of a person) · mk висок (of a building) · br uhel (of a building) · arz طويل (of a building) · th สูง (of a person) · eo altkreska (of a person) · ru ро́слый (of a person) · be высо́кі (of a building) · ar طَوِيل (of a person) · el ψηλός (of a person) · as ওখ (of a building) · sl visòk (of a building) · sk vysoký (of a building) · wal hojja (of a person) · nan-hbl 懸 /悬 (of a person) · br bras (of a person) · sv lång (of a person) · mnc ᡩᡝᠨ (of a person) · mww siab (of a person) · nl hoog (of a building) · fo háur (of a building) · tg баланд (of a building) · de hoch (of a building) · es alto (of a person) · hi लम्बा (of a building) · sa उच्च (of a building) · ko 높다 (of a building) · la prōcērus (of a building) · grc εὐμήκης (of a person) · az uzun (of a person) · cmn 高 (of a building) · ht wo (of a person) · id tinggi (of a person) · za sang (of a building) · ms tinggi (of a person) · bcl halangkaw (of a building) · alt бийик (of a building) · uk висо́кий (of a person) · tg қаддароз (of a person) · fa الدنگ (of a person) · kxd jagau (of a person) · ky бийик (of a person) · ne अग्लो (of a person) · nl lang (of a person) · my မြင့် (of a building) · ar طَوِيل (of a building) · rup analtu (roa-rup) (of a person) · liv kuordõ (of a person) · kk биік (of a person) · wal adussa (of a person) · mn өндөр (of a person) · kmr dirêj (of a person) · pl wysoki (of a building) · ro înalt (of a building) · ur اونچا (of a person) · vi cao (of a building) · ja 高い (of a building) · kum бийик (of a person) · nl groot (of a person) · is hár (of a person) · vec alt (of a person) · fo høgur (of a building) · cy tal (of a person) · hu magas (of a person) · uz baland (of a person) · hi लम्बा (of a person) · ca alt (of a person) · fa بلند (of a building) · vi cao (of a person) · af lank (of a person) · bcl lampyagaw (of a person) · fr grand (of a person) · cs vysoký (of a person) · lv augsts (of a building) · sv hög (of a person) · sw refu (of a building) · tl matangkad (of a person) · ko 크다 (of a person) · gl longo (of a cup of coffee) · ext artu (of a person) · liv kuordi (of a building) · mr उंच (of a building) · myv кувака (of a person) · sw refu (of a person) · ka მაღალი (of a person) · lki دِریژ (of a person) · grc μακρός (of a building) · acw طويل (of a building) · yi הויך (of a person) · it alto (of a person) · jv dhuwur (of a building) · uz uzun (of a person) · fo háur (of a person) · sa उच्च (of a person) · sdh دِریژ (of a person) · be высо́кі (of a person) · alt бийик (of a person) · lv garš (of a person) · gl alto (of a person) · yue 高 (of a building) · es alto (of a building) · tr yüksek (of a building) · ota بزرك (of a person) · as হটঙা (of a person) · tk belent (of a person) · da høj (of a person) · mrw malekeiog (of a building) · ja 高い (of a person) · ltg gars (of a person) · bg невероятен (of a story) · tl matayog (of a building) · hi ऊँचा (of a building) · ru высо́кий (of a person) · fo høgur (of a person) · fa بلند (of a person) · bn উঁচু (of a building) · da høj (of a building) · nl ongeloofwaardig (of a story) · za sang (of a person) · nap auto (of a building) · kxd tinggi (of a building) · hu magas (of a building) · nap auto (of a person) · fr haut (of a building) · ps لوړ (of a building) · hy բարձրահասակ (of a person) · ast altu (of a person) · acw عالي (of a building) · ckb دِرێژ (of a person) · gl alto (of a building) · sk vysoký (of a person) · mt twil (of a person) · et kõrge (of a building) · az hündür (of a building) · he גָּבוֹהַּ \ גָּבֹהַּ (of a building) · my လံဗား (of a person) · km ខ្ពស់ (of a person) · ps جګ (of a person) · bg висо́к (of a building) · et pikk (of a person) · fi kookas (of a person) · cs vysoký (of a building) · pt alto (of a building) · uk висо́кий (of a building) · shu طويل (of a person) · dsb wusoki (of a building) · ps جګ (of a building) · ta நெட்டை (of a person) · az uca (of a building) · acw طويل (of a person) · pt alto (of a person) · tk uzyn (of a person) · kk ұзын (of a person) · te పొడుగు (of a building) · pt exagerado (of a story) · cdo 悬 (of a person) · zdj -le (of a person) · as ওখ (of a person) · ta உயரமான (of a person) · az yüksək (of a building) · et kõrge (of a person) · ky бийик (of a building) · sl visòk (of a person) · tr uzun (of a building) · sh vìsok (of a person) · mk висок (of a person) · sq i gjatë (of a person) · ota یوكسك (of a building) · ro înalt (of a person) · sv lång (of a story) · mi hūroaroa (of a person) · az uca (of a person) · lo ສູງ (of a person) · yue 高 (of a person) · la altus (of a building) · la prōcērus (of a person) · ca alt (of a building) · lt aukštas (of a person) · hi ऊँचा (of a person) · mn ᠥᠨᠳᠥᠷ (of a person) · cmn 高 (of a person) · tr uzun (of a person) · nb høy (of a person) · ga ard (of a building) · ota اوزون (of a person) · cv ҫӳллӗ (of a person) · la altus (of a person) · sh вѝсок (of a building)