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 The only real dimensional difference is the seat height: the S is a noob-friendlier 32.7 inches tall (832 mm), whereas the track scalpel is pretty tall at 34 inches (865 mm). Joe Salas may 25, New Atlas, 25 May 2025 His latest opening at 22 Bishopsgate, one of the tallest buildings in London, features not one, but three restaurants. Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 24 May 2025 Strain the mixture either into a flute or into a tall glass with ice, and top with sparkling wine. Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 24 May 2025 Built to haul small satellites to orbit, the rocket stands 82 feet (25 meters) tall and has an unusual design for a modern launcher, with three stages, each powered by hybrid engines burning a proprietary solid fuel mixed with a liquid oxidizer. ArsTechnica, 14 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for tall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tall
Adjective
  • This includes New Jersey, which boasts the highest average earnings in the U.S. Higher wages can often result in better health insurance from an employer, less fear about medical debt and less reliance on state and federal health care services like Medicaid and Medicare.
    Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
  • An avid cyclist and mountaineer, Williams has summited six of the seven highest peaks on Earth, including Mt. Everest.
    Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 29 May 2025
Adjective
  • These connections are difficult to make from within, but consultants are trained to see across boundaries.
    Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
  • But the fact that Schwartzman, in his first film, was given the difficult task of stealing laughs away from a comedy legend, and so often succeeds in doing so, gives him the slight edge.
    Shannon Carlin, Time, 30 May 2025
Adjective
  • Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker combined to give this women’s basketball franchise an undeniable and towering allure, with three championship banners (2001, 2002, 2016) in the rafters.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 14 May 2025
  • Better yet, head to the east side of the park to Two Medicine Valley, which is full of trails leading to ice-blue backcountry lakes and towering peaks.
    Graham Averill, Outside Online, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Predicting how technology will change our relationship with terminology is challenging, but the need for precise scientific language, including the names of species, will never go away.
    Nicholas Green, The Conversation, 3 June 2025
  • Read more upvotes Comment View 417 comments Dr. Melanie McCabe told Newsweek that the postpartum period can be both joyful and deeply challenging.
    Darlin Tillery, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
Adjective
  • There are powerful levers to pull if Trump chooses, like increasing US military aid or imposing tough new sanctions, such as those overwhelmingly supported in the US Senate.
    Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 3 June 2025
  • Every day, Russia gives new reasons for tougher sanctions and stronger support for our defense.
    David Brennan, ABC News, 3 June 2025
Adjective
  • Sandoval has received some pay bumps, including a temporary $10,000-a-year bonus for Hawaii special education teachers designed to alleviate shortages in that and other hard-to-staff areas.
    Alia Wong, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2023
  • The five-year commemoration of that day is particularly hard for Jennifer, who usually shies away from talking publicly about her loss.
    Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2023
Adjective
  • Sinha’s strategic interventions have substantially scaled up businesses, powering a formidable sales pipeline by assisting the company in landing enterprise-level engagements.
    Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 3 June 2025
  • Everything points to the fact that Karolína’s exceptional talent has caught the attention of the formidable and much admired choirmaster.
    Leo Barraclough, Variety, 3 June 2025
Adjective
  • Hall, a former college football player, is quite the athlete and also gives fans a look into his rigorous workout regimen, which Khaled joined him for.
    Michael Saponara, Billboard, 23 May 2025
  • The Bee has a rigorous policy relating to requests for anonymity.
    Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 23 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Tall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tall. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.

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