Collocations for "small"
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word "small" in context.
WordReference English Collocations © 2026
small
ⓘMost examples are given in US English. We have labeled exceptions as UK.adj
- [extremely, rather, pretty] small
- the [shirt, car, apartment] is too small
- too small for [me, my tastes, my needs]
- is small enough to fit (in)
- the smallest [size] available
- from small to [medium, large, mid-sized]
- is small in [size, number]
- is small in [comparison, relation] to
- have a small favor to ask (you)
- can I ask you a small favor?
- is a small [business, school, company]
- is a small price to pay (for)
- there is only a small number [left, here]
- there's just one small problem
- there's just the small matter of
- the small things matter too
- made a small mistake (on)
- had a small accident
- is no small [matter, issue]
- I was just a small boy when
- [do you have, have you got] anything smaller?
- smaller than [a matchbox, a mouse, an atom]
- made me feel small
- don't [sweat, worry about] the small stuff
- [in, through] the small intestine
- do you have this [dress, shirt, jumper] in a small?
- have [sold, run] out of smalls
- are all out of smalls
- [went for, ordered, bought] a small
- will (just) [take, have] a small
- put his [hand on, arm around] the small of her back
- the small of my back [aches, hurts]
- (pain) in the small of my back
- [benefits, advantages, opportunities] for the small
- UK: [adjusted, washed, put on] his smalls
- UK: [small, medium, large, clean, dirty] smalls
'small' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
apply
- cost
- feed
- grow
- lean
- represent
- resemble
- one
- a piece
- addition
- advance
- amount
- apartment
- back
- base
- bedroom
- bite
- body
- bowl
- boy
- breast
- butt
- chance
- change
- child
- city
- closet
- cock
- collection
- company
- court
- cut
- doubt
- east
- family
- film
- firm
- flat
- gain
- gross
- group
- here
- hill
- hole
- house
- I
- image
- impact
- island
- jacket