Puny vs. Small — What's the Difference?

Of inferior size, strength, or significance; weak

Being below average in size

Chiefly Southern US Sickly; ill.

Being below average in quantity or extent

Of inferior significance, size, or strength; ineffective, small, weak.

Limited in importance or significance; trivial

(Frequently) ill; poorly, sickly.

Having limited position, influence, or status; minor

(obsolete) puisne

Unpretentious; modest

Inferior in rank; specifically, of a judge: junior.

Not fully grown; very young

Coming later in time; secondary, subsequent.

Narrow in outlook; petty

Not experienced; novice.

Having been belittled; humiliated

(archaic) An inferior person; a subordinate; also, an insignificant person.

Diluted; weak. Used of alcoholic beverages.

(obsolete)

Lacking force or volume

A younger person; a junior.

Lowercase

Alternative spelling of puisne

In small pieces

A new student at a school, university, the Inns of Court, etc.; a junior.

Without loudness or forcefulness; softly.

Imperfectly developed in size or vigor; small and feeble; inferior; petty.

In a small manner.

A youth; a novice.

A part that is smaller or narrower than the rest

Inferior in strength or significance;

Small things considered as a group.

(used especially of persons) of inferior size

Chiefly British Small items of clothing.

Not large or big; insignificant; few in number.

(figuratively) Young, as a child.

Minuscule or lowercase, referring to written or printed letters.

Humiliated or insignificant.

Evincing little worth or ability; not large-minded; paltry; mean.

Not prolonged in duration; not extended in time; short.

Synonym of little

(archaic) Slender, gracefully slim.

That is small the manufactured size.

In a small fashion

In or into small pieces.

(obsolete) To a small extent.

(obsolete) In a low tone; softly.

An item labelled or denoted as being that size.

One who fits an item of that size.

Any part of something that is smaller or slimmer than the rest, now usually with anatomical reference to the back.

To make little or less.

(intransitive) To become small; to dwindle.

Having little size, compared with other things of the same kind; little in quantity or degree; diminutive; not large or extended in dimension; not great; not much; inconsiderable; as, a small man; a small river.

Being of slight consequence; feeble in influence or importance; unimportant; trivial; insignificant; as, a small fault; a small business.

Envincing little worth or ability; not large-minded; - sometimes, in reproach, paltry; mean.

Not prolonged in duration; not extended in time; short; as, after a small space.

Weak; slender; fine; gentle; soft; not loud.

In or to small extent, quantity, or degree; little; slightly.

Not loudly; faintly; timidly.

The small or slender part of a thing; as, the small of the leg or of the back.

Smallclothes.

To make little or less.

The slender part of the back

A garment size for a small person

Limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent;

Limited in size or scope;

Low or inferior in station or quality;

Not fully grown;

Too small to be seen except under a microscope

Not large but sufficient in size or amount;

(of a voice) faint;

Slight or limited; especially in degree or intensity or scope;

Made to seem smaller or less (especially in worth);

Lowercase;

Have fine or very small constituent particles;

On a small scale;