Tiny means extremely small. A ladybug is tiny compared to your hand. A grain of sand is tiny. When something is tiny, it's so small that you might need to look closely to see all its details, or you might be able to hold many of them in your palm at once.

The word suggests something much smaller than just “small.” A penny is small, but a tiny speck of dust on that penny is even smaller. Scientists study tiny organisms called bacteria that you can't see without a microscope. Jewelers work with tiny gemstones. An ant might seem tiny to you, but to that ant, a grain of sugar is tiny.

People also use tiny to describe things that seem unimportant or insignificant. A tiny mistake might not matter much, like misspelling one word in a long essay. A tiny chance means something is unlikely but still possible, like finding a tiny four-leaf clover in a huge field.

The opposite of tiny is huge, enormous, or gigantic. Interestingly, tiny things often turn out to be more important than they first appear. Tiny seeds grow into massive trees, and tiny acts of kindness can make someone's entire day brighter.