Dwarf — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb adjective /ˈdwȯrf/

Meaning & Definition of Dwarf

Dwarf (noun)

  1. a person of unusually small stature; especially, a person whose height does not exceed 4' 10" and is typically less than 4' 5"
  2. an animal or plant much below normal size
  3. a small legendary manlike being who is usually misshapen and ugly and skilled as a craftsman

Dwarf (verb)

  1. to cause to appear smaller or to seem inferior
  2. to restrict the growth of, stunt
  3. to become smaller

Dwarf (adjective)

  1. low-growing in habit

Dwarf (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. an imaginary being usually having a small human form and magical powers

    "Snow White and the seven dwarfs"

    similar: brownie, elf, faerie, fairy, fay, gnome, goblin, gremlin, hobgoblin, kobold, leprechaun, pixie, puck, sprite, troll
    related: little people, kelpie, nixie, changeling, imp, banshee, ghoul, hag, ogre

  2. something (such as an animal) much smaller than others of its kind

    "Shetland ponies are the dwarfs of the horse world"

    similar: diminutive, midget, mite, peewee, pygmy, runt, scrub
    related: mini, miniature, toy
    opposite: behemoth, colossus, giant, jumbo, leviathan, mammoth, monster, titan
    near: whale, whopper

  3. 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"

    similar: cipher, half-pint, insect, insignificancy, lightweight, morsel, nobody, nonentity, nothing, nullity, number, pip-squeak, pygmy, snippersnapper, twerp, whippersnapper, zero, zilch
    related: no-name, noncelebrity, least, inferior, mediocrity, obscurity, figurehead, puppet, nonperson, unperson, outcast, pariah, reject
    opposite: big shot, big wheel, bigwig, eminence, figure, kahuna, kingpin, magnate, nabob, personage, somebody, VIP
    near: chief, head, lead, leader, celebrity, luminary, notable, personality, planet, star, superstar, authority, superior, great power, party, power

Dwarf (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to hold back the normal growth of

    "shrubs dwarfed by the lack of water"

    similar: stunt, suppress
    related: arrest, catch, check, halt, hold up, stall, stay, still, stop, balk, block, hold back, impede, obstruct, stem, diminish, downsize, shrink
    near: advance, boost, encourage, forward, foster, nourish, nurture, promote

Dwarf (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in dwarfish

    similar: dwarfish, little, low, low-lying, low-slung, sawed-off, short, compact, petite, slight, diminutive, half-pint, pint-size, pocket, pocket-size, pygmy, small, smallish, bantam, bitty, dinky, mini, miniature, minimized, minute, puny, teeny, teeny-weeny, tiny, undersized, wee, dumpy, flat, scrubby, squat, squatty, stubby, stumpy, stunted
    opposite: altitudinous, high, lofty, tall, towering, elevated, lifted, raised, uplifted, upswept, high-rise, statuesque, gangling, gangly, lanky, rangy, big, bulky, hefty, hulking, large, largish, outsize, oversize, sizable, voluminous

Related Entry: Brown dwarf (noun)

Brown dwarf is a different word from Dwarf. The synonyms below are for brown dwarf, not for dwarf.

  1. as in neutron star, white dwarf

    similar: binary star, dwarf, fixed star, gasser, giant star, lodestar, neutron star, nova, pulsar, quasar, red dwarf, red giant, red star, subdwarf, supercluster, supergiant, supernova, variable, variable star, white dwarf, luminary, sphere, sun, cluster, constellation, galaxy

Related Entry: Red dwarf (noun)

Red dwarf is a different word from Dwarf. The synonyms below are for red dwarf, not for dwarf.

  1. as in neutron star, white dwarf

    similar: binary star, brown dwarf, dwarf, fixed star, gasser, giant star, lodestar, neutron star, nova, pulsar, quasar, red giant, red star, subdwarf, supercluster, supergiant, supernova, variable, variable star, white dwarf, luminary, sphere, sun, cluster, constellation, galaxy

Related Entry: White dwarf (noun)

White dwarf is a different word from Dwarf. The synonyms below are for white dwarf, not for dwarf.

  1. as in neutron star, red dwarf

    similar: binary star, brown dwarf, dwarf, fixed star, gasser, giant star, lodestar, neutron star, nova, pulsar, quasar, red dwarf, red giant, red star, subdwarf, supercluster, supergiant, supernova, variable, variable star, luminary, sphere, sun, cluster, constellation, galaxy

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Dwarf

The most common words with a similar meaning to Dwarf:

brownie, elf, faerie, fairy, fay, gnome, goblin, gremlin, hobgoblin, kobold, leprechaun, pixie, puck, sprite, troll, diminutive, midget, mite, peewee, pygmy, runt, scrub, cipher, half-pint, insect, insignificancy, lightweight, morsel, nobody, nonentity, nothing, nullity, number, pip-squeak, snippersnapper, twerp, whippersnapper, zero, zilch, stunt

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Dwarf

Words with the opposite meaning of Dwarf:

behemoth, colossus, giant, jumbo, leviathan, mammoth, monster, titan, big shot, big wheel, bigwig, eminence, figure, kahuna, kingpin, magnate, nabob, personage, somebody, VIP, altitudinous, high, lofty, tall, towering, elevated, lifted, raised, uplifted, upswept

Related Words for Dwarf

little people, kelpie, nixie, changeling, imp, banshee, ghoul, hag, ogre, toy, no-name, noncelebrity, least, inferior, mediocrity, obscurity, figurehead, puppet, nonperson, unperson, outcast, pariah, reject, arrest, catch, check, halt, hold up, stall, stay

Near Antonyms of Dwarf

whale, whopper, chief, head, lead, leader, celebrity, luminary, notable, personality, planet, star, superstar, authority, superior, great power, party, power, advance, boost, encourage, forward, foster, nourish, nurture, promote

Word Forms of Dwarf

Inflections: dwarfs, dwarves, dwarfed, dwarfing

Derived words: dwarfish (adjective), dwarfishly (adverb), dwarfishness (noun), dwarflike (adjective), dwarfness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Dwarf

Middle English dwerg, dwerf, from Old English dweorg, dweorh; akin to Old High German twerg dwarf

First known use: 14th century

Words & Phrases Containing Dwarf

dwarf bilberry, dwarf planet, black dwarf, brown dwarf, red dwarf, white dwarf, yellow dwarf

Frequently Asked Questions about Dwarf

What does "Dwarf" mean?

"Dwarf" means a person of unusually small stature; especially, a person whose height does not exceed 4' 10" and is typically less than 4' 5". As an a noun, a verb and an adjective, it is defined as: a person of unusually small stature; especially, a person whose height does not exceed 4' 10" and is typically less than 4' 5". It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Dwarf"?

Other words for "Dwarf" include brownie, elf, faerie, fairy, fay, gnome, goblin and gremlin. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Dwarf" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Dwarf"?

There are 118 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Dwarf". Common alternatives include brownie, elf, faerie, fairy, fay, gnome, goblin, gremlin, hobgoblin and kobold.

What is the opposite of "Dwarf"?

Antonyms of "Dwarf" include behemoth, colossus, giant, jumbo, leviathan, mammoth, monster and titan. Near antonyms include whale, whopper, chief and head.

How do you use "Dwarf" in a sentence?

Examples of "Dwarf" in a sentence: "Snow White and the seven dwarfs"; "Shetland ponies are the dwarfs of the horse world"; "it would be ridiculous to compare the two sculptors—one's a giant of the art world and the other's a dwarf".

Is "Dwarf" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Dwarf" can be used as a noun, a verb and an adjective, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Dwarf"?

"Dwarf" is pronounced /ˈdwȯrf/.

What is the origin of the word "Dwarf"?

"Dwarf" comes from Middle English dwerg, dwerf, from Old English dweorg, dweorh; akin to Old High German twerg dwarf. First known use: 14th century.