Synonyms for minute
- adjective
- noun
Most common
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Little — very small
little, small, infinitesimal, tiny, minuscule, slight, teensy informal, imperceptible, insignificant, microscopic, inconsiderable, trace, diminutive, inappreciable rare
2. Particular — very careful and exact, giving small details
particular, precise, careful, exact, nice, fine, excruciating, specific, accurate, thorough, detailed, critical, meticulous, rigorous, strict, delicate, scrupulous, punctilious, exacting, conscientious, circumstantial
Noun
1. Second — A short but unspecified time period
second, instant, while US, half a mo informal, sec informal, span, tick, jiffy, trice, mo, tic, twinkling, twinkle, twink, jif, jot dated, crack slang dated UK
3. Sexagesm — A unit of angle equal to one-sixtieth of a degree
arc minute, sexagesm dated
Definitions
- adj. 1
Very small.
They found only minute quantities of chemical residue on his clothing.
- adj. 2
Very careful and exact, giving small details.
The lawyer gave the witness a minute examination.
- n. 1
A short but unspecified time period.
Wait a minute, I’m not ready yet!
- n. 2
A unit of angle equal to one-sixtieth of a degree.
We need to be sure these maps are accurate to within one minute of arc.
Related words
Forms
- Plural
- minutes → seconds, instants, whiles, secs…
Choose the right word
That is minute which is of exceedingly limited dimensions, as a grain of dust, or which attends to matters of exceedingly slight amount or apparent importance; as, a minute account; minute observation.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- little I was disappointed at there being so little to do.
- trace The police have found no trace of the suspect yet.
- excruciating You discovered my biggest weakness: excruciating pain.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| minute | rising | |
| little | rising | |
| trace | steady | |
| excruciating | rising | |
| tiddly | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 2 letters
- mo1
- 3 letters
- age1, min1, sec1, tic1, jot1, jif1
- 4 letters
- time1, nice1, fine1, hour2, note1, tiny2, item2, span1, tick1
- 5 letters
- while1, small1, entry2, exact2, crack1, spell1, trace1, twink1, jiffy2, trice1
- 6 letters
- little2, second2, moment2, record2, narrow2, slight1, strict1, teensy2, tiddly2
- 7 letters
- careful2, instant2, precise2, twinkle2
- 8 letters
- specific3, critical3, accurate3, detailed2, thorough2, delicate3, interval3, rigorous3, exacting3, juncture2, sexagesm
- 9 letters
- minuscule3, twinkling3
- 10 letters
- particular4, memorandum4, meticulous4, diminutive4, scrupulous3
- 11 letters
- microscopic4, punctilious4
- 12 letters
- excruciating5
- 13 letters
- insignificant5, conscientious4, infinitesimal6, imperceptible5, inappreciable
- 14 letters
- circumstantial4, inconsiderable
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (hour2 = 2 syllables).