Lilliputian

Very small indeed

A Lilliputian is an inhabitant of Lilliput, the island of tiny people in Jonathan Swift's 1726 satire *Gulliver's Travels*.

As an adjective, it describes anything very small or petty: Lilliputian figures, Lilliputian squabbles.

The capitalized form retains the literary allusion more strongly than the lowercase. (Lowercase lilliputian is the general adjective for very small.)

literary

Gulliver

SwiftMoving with great speed
satireMockery exposing vice
voyageJourney by sea

shipwreck · bound · giant · perspective · England · allegory · fantasy · island · kingdom · emperor

stature

short

Of limited extent

petiteSmall and delicate
smallLimited in size
slightMinor or thin

compact · undersized · dwarfed · stunted · stubby · squat · little · puny · pipsqueak · shrimpy

miniatures

model

Representation or paradigm

replicaFaithful scaled reproduction
dioramaEnclosed miniature scene display
figurineSmall ornamental sculpture

dollhouse · bonsai · terrarium · tabletop · scaled-down · thumbnail · teacup · miniaturize · detail · crafted

Categories

Coined Wordschortle, galumph, nerd, robot, quark
Little Folkgnome, gnomes, dwarf, dwarfs, elf
Fictional PeoplesKlingon, Vulcan, Romulan, Orc, Dothraki
small beingsdwarf, midget, little person, pygmy, runt

Opposites

physical size

LilliputianBrobdingnagian

Immense beyond measure

gargantuan · gigantic · colossal · titanic · enormous

MENTAL OUTLOOK (figurative)

Lilliputianbroad-minded

Receptive to differing views

open-minded · liberal · cosmopolitan · tolerant · catholic

significance or importance

Lilliputianmomentous

Of great significance

monumental · significant · consequential · weighty · substantial

Family

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated G