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 There’s a steep fee to climb Mount Everest Nepal will increase the permit fees for climbing Mount Everest by more than 35% to $15,000, making the world’s tallest peak more expensive for mountaineers for the first time in nearly a decade. —

Alexandra Banner, CNN, 23 Jan. 2025 Drive through your heels to stand and squeeze your glutes at the top for 1 rep. Kneeling Leg Extension Katie Thompson Get into a kneeling position with your knees hip-distance apart, torso tall, core and legs engaged, and hands on your hips. —

Amy Marturana Winderl, SELF, 14 Jan. 2025 At the moment, Ascent is the tallest mass-timber structure in the world, beating out Mjøstårnet in Brumunddal, Norway, which opened to great acclaim in 2020. —

Ashley Gardini, JSTOR Daily, 14 Jan. 2025 But Sasaki healed and grew into a tall, rail-thin teenage sensation as a high schooler. —

Stephen J. Nesbitt, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for tall

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tall

Adjective

In 2018, a live wire broke free from a 100-year-old transmission tower in high winds and sparked the Camp fire, which killed scores of people and destroyed the town of Paradise in Northern California.

— Ivan Penn, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2025
Dominant as the changeup is, Kahnle’s reliance on getting hitters to chase the pitch may be part of the reason his walk rates of 10.6 percent and 11.5 percent have been higher than average in each of the past two seasons.

— Cody Stavenhagen, The Athletic, 30 Jan. 2025