1
as in elf
an imaginary being usually having a small human form and magical powers
Snow White and the seven dwarfs
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2
as in diminutive
something (such as an animal) much smaller than others of its kind
Shetland ponies are the dwarfs of the horse world
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in nobody
a person of no importance or influence
it would be ridiculous to compare the two sculptors—one's a giant of the art world and the other's a dwarf
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to halt
to hold back the normal growth of
shrubs dwarfed by the lack of water
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in dwarfish
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of dwarf
Stephen Clark – Jun 6, ArsTechnica, 6 June 2025
Remember to select tall zinnia cultivars or grow zinnias with dwarf sunflowers like ‘Teddy Bear’ so your plants don’t compete for light.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 June 2025
Devan Coggan, EW.com, 13 Oct. 2022
Other new characters include Disa, the first female dwarf ever shown in the Lord of the Rings series.
—Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 22 July 2022
Camila Domonoske, NPR, 7 July 2025
The modest damages figure was dwarfed by the significance of the case in the sports and apparel industries.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for dwarf
Noun
Brooks investigates the same kind of phenomenon, but in the cores of dwarf galaxies.
—Stephen Clark – Jun 6, ArsTechnica, 6 June 2025
Remember to select tall zinnia cultivars or grow zinnias with dwarf sunflowers like ‘Teddy Bear’ so your plants don’t compete for light.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 June 2025
Verb
Tell me a little bit about the technical side of filming a dwarf and an elf together.
—Devan Coggan, EW.com, 13 Oct. 2022
Other new characters include Disa, the first female dwarf ever shown in the Lord of the Rings series.
—Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 22 July 2022
Adjective
Every attempt to plug orphan wells has been dwarfed by the size of the problem.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 7 July 2025
The modest damages figure was dwarfed by the significance of the case in the sports and apparel industries.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for dwarf
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dwarf
Noun
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Thor: The Dark World' (2013) Chris Hemsworth’s thunder god has a sequel that’s a blender of familiar fantasy tropes as Thor and love interest Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) have to deal with a dark elf with an Infinity Stone.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
25 July 2025
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In contrast, Tolkien imagined elves as elegant and refined, while humans had the capacity to be as barbaric as orcs, or as noble as elves.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Noun
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For example, Katie is a diminutive of Katherine and Lisa is a diminutive of Elizabeth.—
Ryan Brennan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Jan. 2025
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Residing on hillside slopes and gently rolling valleys surrounding the stately medieval village of Montalcino, vineyards in the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG are home to a clone of Sangiovese known locally as Brunello, which is a diminutive of the Italian word for brown.—
Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen,
Robb Report,
3 Feb. 2025
Noun
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None of these nobodies is performing like Grimes just yet, and until someone does Grier better get active trying to find a handful of veteran cornerbacks whom this team can call on, and sign to patch up the weakest unit on the team.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
30 May 2025
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And maybe that’s a metaphor for the way a lot of middle-class nobodies feel.—
Abigail Lee,
Variety,
13 May 2025
Verb
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Due to the storm damage, the city of Plainfield said that its city pools and parks are closed on Tuesday for inspection and safety assessment, while services at the Plainfield Senior Center are halted.—
David Chiu,
People.com,
15 July 2025
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In an unsigned order on Monday, the top court temporarily lifted a lower court ruling from May that indefinitely paused the layoffs and reinstated those who were let go, while also halting President Donald Trump’s Executive Order from March which called for the department to be closed down.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
15 July 2025
Noun
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In fact, Bolg is the name of a goblin prince from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit.—
Margherita Bassi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
20 June 2025
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Brown and Kountz play Luna and Marvin, a couple who moves to Evergreen Lane with a passion for goblins and ghouls that inspires the whole neighborhood to go all in.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
23 June 2025
Noun
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Whereas Elliot remains something of a cipher, a manchild whose amply displayed abs have more definition than his character.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
3 July 2025
-
We are used to viewing video-game protagonists as tireless ciphers.—
Simon Parkin,
The Atlantic,
23 June 2025
Verb
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Past research, Jansen notes, has found that cannabis can suppress the immune system through its active compounds: CBD, THC and other minor cannabinoids.—
Hannah Millington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
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Sandra Lynn Hemme filed the suit Thursday, which accuses investigators of fabricating evidence, coercing a false confession and suppressing evidence that could have proven her innocence.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
25 July 2025
Noun
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At 87 percent merino wool (blended with nylon), these are also very durable while remaining lightweight (10.3 ounces for a men's large).—
Scott Gilbertson,
Wired News,
5 July 2025
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Not only is the Switchback crazy lightweight, it's purposely designed to be as compact and low-riding as possible.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
3 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dwarf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dwarf. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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