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tall

SayTAWL/tɔl//tɔːl/

Adjectivetaller, tallest

Noun pluraltalls

10 meanings of tall

Practice

  1. 1
    great heightadjective
    Higher than most people or things, measured from the bottom to the top.

    Like a ladder that stretches all the way up to the roof.

    The tall tree blocked our view of the mountains.

    Those buildings are even taller than the old tower.

    UsageSay a tall man, but a high mountain.

    Oppositeshort, low

    Note
  2. 2
    hard to believeadjective
    Hard to believe because it sounds made up or exaggerated.

    Like a fishing story that gets bigger every time someone tells it.

    Grandpa told us a tall story about catching a fish bigger than the boat.

    Nobody believed his tall tale about meeting aliens.

    UsageSay a tall tale or a tall story.

    Similarexaggerated, far-fetched, implausible, unbelievable

    Oppositeplausible, believable, credible

    Note
  3. 3
    12-ounce drinknouncountable
    A drink size of twelve ounces, used mainly at coffee shops.

    She ordered a tall with extra foam.

    A tall costs less than the bigger sizes.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of tall apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

From Middle English tall, from Old English words meaning 'swift, ready', going back to Proto-Germanic and an old Indo-European root. Its meaning changed a lot over time.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 4 facts