TALL Synonyms: 122 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'tall' contrast with its synonyms?

The words high and lofty are common synonyms of tall . While all three words mean "above the average in height," tall applies to what grows or rises high by comparison with others of its kind and usually implies relative narrowness. // a tall thin man

Q: When can 'high' be used instead of 'tall'?

Although the words high and tall have much in common, high implies marked extension upward and is applied chiefly to things which rise from a base or foundation or are placed at a conspicuous height above a lower level. // a high hill // a high ceiling

Q: When would 'lofty' be a good substitute for 'tall'?

While in some cases nearly identical to tall , lofty suggests great or imposing altitude. // lofty mountain peaks

tall

adjective

ˈtȯl

Definition of tall next

as in high

extending to a great distance upward tall skyscrapers that cast long shadows over the park

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in difficult

requiring considerable physical or mental effort that's a pretty tall order

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective tall contrast with its synonyms?

The words high and lofty are common synonyms of tall. While all three words mean "above the average in height," tall applies to what grows or rises high by comparison with others of its kind and usually implies relative narrowness.

a tall thin man

When can high be used instead of tall?

Although the words high and tall have much in common, high implies marked extension upward and is applied chiefly to things which rise from a base or foundation or are placed at a conspicuous height above a lower level.

a high hill

a high ceiling

When would lofty be a good substitute for tall?

While in some cases nearly identical to tall, lofty suggests great or imposing altitude.

lofty mountain peaks

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of tall Matthew Lewis, the director of communications at California YIMBY, said that a majority of land in most cities across the state doesn’t allow anything taller than a one or two-story single-family home. —

Grace Hase, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2025 In a climactic sequence unfolding in woodland, the camera ascends to offer the stark sight of the trees, arrestingly straight and tall. —

Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2025 Native to Puerto Rico and parts of the Leeward Islands, cowboy prickly pear can grow to 10 feet tall in the wild. —

Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Jan. 2025 The street had been engulfed in 40-foot tall flames supported by 70-plus-mph winds; one of the homes in front of us, now just rubble and ash, belonged to another member of the Brigade, Tyler Hauptman. —

Emma Marie Jenkinson, Vogue, 24 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for tall

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tall

Adjective

Canadian-American singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie has been stripped of the Order of Canada, the country’s highest civilian honor.

— Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Feb. 2025
From a competitive standpoint, that should not be a problem: Play every round on the campus of the higher seed, just like the NFL, with the championship at a neutral site (the Rose Bowl).

— Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2025