talltall /tɔːl $ tɒːl/ ●●● S2 W2 adjective (comparative taller, superlative tallest) 
He was young and tall. a house surrounded by tall trees This bush grows tall very quickly.► see thesaurus at high2you use ‘tall’ to say or ask what the height of something or someone is6ft/2m/12 inches etc tall He’s only 5 feet tall. How tall is that building? She’s a little taller than her sister.3American English a tall drink contains a small amount of alcohol mixed with a large amount of a non-alcoholic drink4a tall order informal a request or piece of work that is almost impossible: Finding a replacement is going to be a tall order.5tall story/tale a story that is so unlikely that it is difficult to believe—tallness noun [uncountable] → stand tall at stand1(39), → walk tall at walk1(10)
WORD ORIGINtall
Origin:
Old English getæl ‘quick, ready’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- At the age of fifteen he was already six foot three and the tallest boy in the school.
- Do you need to be tall to play basketball well?
- First, we need to find a nice tall tree.
- Lorna is a little taller than her husband.
- Martin was tall and thin, with curly blond hair.
- Sebastian was now fifteen, and had grown tall and strong.
- The cat was hiding in the tall grass in the backyard.
- The photographer asked the taller people to stand at the back of the group.
- Two tall marble columns stood at either side of the entrance.
- Who is that tall bloke standing next to Diane?
- Chutra became a tall man in the saddle.
- It was then that she noticed a tall blond man busy coaching some young local boys in football.
- She was a tall girl, quite pretty, I thought, and she always wore a lovely kimono robe.
- Siward, taller than anyone else, was behind him and to the left.
- The valley was scrubby here: elephant grass, occasional tall trees, and dry rice paddies.
THESAURUSbuildings/mountains etc
measuring a long distance from the bottom to the top – used about mountains, walls, and buildings: · the highest mountain in the world· The castle was surrounded by high walls.· a high cliff· The council told the architects the tower was too high.
high – used about people, trees, plants, and buildings. Tall is used especially about things that are high and narrow: · tall marble columns· A cat was hiding in the tall grass.· a tall modern building
especially written very impressive because of being very big and tall – used about mountains, buildings, trees, and animals: · the majestic mountains of the Himalayas· The abbey is noted for its majestic arches, fine doorways and elegant windows.· The cathedral looked majestic in the evening light.
[only before noun] especially written used about a building or mountain that looks extremely tall and impressive: · a soaring skyscraper· the soaring towers of the palace
[only before noun] especially written extremely high, in a way that seems impressive but also often rather frightening: · The sky was shut out by the towering walls of the prison.· towering trees
[usually before noun] literary very high and impressive – used in literature: · the lofty peaks in the far distance
[usually before noun] a high-rise building is a tall modern building with a lot of floors containing apartments or offices: · a high-rise apartment block· He works in a high-rise office in New York.
Longman Language Activatorwords for describing someone who is tall · Martin was tall and thin, with curly blond hair.· At the age of fifteen he was already six foot three and the tallest boy in the school.· The photographer asked the taller people to stand at the back of the group.· Who is that tall bloke standing next to Diane?grow tall/taller · Sebastian was now fifteen, and had grown tall and strong.
a man who is lanky is tall and thin, and has very long legs: · We were met by a tall, lanky youth called Yusef.· a lanky sixteen-year-old boy
use this about a young person who is tall and thin with very long legs and arms, and moves in an awkward way: · Janet introduced me to her son, a shy, gangling teenager.· a tall, gangly youth
a woman who is leggy is tall and attractive with long legs: · Robert arrived at the party with a leggy brunette.· a tall, leggy blonde
use this about a man who is very tall, especially when you are surprised at how tall he is: · Bigger even than his father, who was a tall man, James was a giant.a giant of a man: · The biggest of the three brothers was a sad-faced giant of a man.
how tall someone is use this to ask or talk about someone's height: · How tall are you?· I hadn't seen her for five years and I was amazed at how tall she was.
use this to say exactly how tall someone is: · John is 1.78 metres tall and weighs 95 kilos.· She was accompanied by her six foot tall boyfriend.
how tall someone is: somebody's height: · State your age, height, and weight.· Sally had always been self-conscious about her height.be the same height: · She's about the same height as I am.
formal someone's height, used especially when you are talking about their appearance: · The bank manager was a grey-haired man of imposing stature.in stature: · I was by no means short in stature, but next to this man I felt like a dwarf.
to be much taller than someone · When Howard stood up, he towered over his father.· A tall, broad-shouldered, striking figure, he towered above others around him.
to be so much taller than someone else that you make them seem shorter than they really are: · Rachel was small and slight, and was dwarfed by the other competitors.
when people, animals, or plants get bigger to become bigger and more developed over a period of time: · Tom has really grown since I last saw him.· The fish are kept in tanks until they have grown enough to be released into the river.grow one metre/two centimetres/six inches etc: · Amy grew 6 inches last year.grow into: · Within a few years, these saplings will grow into tall trees.grow to ten inches/two metres/70 feet etc: · The Eastern White Pine often grows to 200 feet.grow to a height/length/width etc of: · Sunflowers can grow to a height of ten feet.
if a child, plant, or animal develops , it gradually changes into the form it will have as an adult: · The baby develops very quickly during the first few weeks of pregnancy.develop into: · In less that 12 weeks the chicks will develop into adult birds.
to grow and become taller, especially in a short period of time: · Eleanor's getting bigger, isn't she? I hardly recognised her.get bigger and bigger/taller and taller: · The grass got taller and taller over the summer.
to suddenly get a lot bigger - use this about children and plants that have grown quickly: · Jo's shot up since I last saw her.· In May the plants all start to shoot up.
if plants come up , they start growing above the soil, especially in the spring: · I sowed lots of poppies, but they haven't come up yet.· The weeds keep coming up year after year.
if something increases in size , it gets bigger, especially as a result of particular conditions: · As the plant grows, the roots also increase in size.· If the tumour is not removed, it will increase in size and may cause a blockage.
if a plant matures , it grows to its full size: · A tree takes many years to mature.· In the hot weather the fruit matured quickly.
a high building/mountain/tree etc measuring a long distance from top to bottom - use this about mountains, walls, or buildings: · The castle was surrounded by high walls.· Mt. McKinley is the highest mountain in North America.· A couple of boys had climbed the high chain-link fence to get into the park.
high and narrow or long - use this about trees and plants or about buildings and parts of buildings: · Two tall marble columns stood at either side of the entrance.· The twin towers of the World Trade Center were the highest buildings in New York.· The cat was hiding in the tall grass in the backyard.
very high especially in a way that seems frightening or impressive: · The building seems out of place among the towering redwood trees.· The towering Cliffs of Dover loomed in front of them.
a very tall modern city building, especially one used for offices: · His office looked out on the other skyscrapers of downtown Dallas.
a high-rise building is a tall modern building, used either for apartments or for offices: · High-rise apartment buildings now stood where his childhood home had been.
WORD SETSabsinth, nounalcohol, nounale, nounalehouse, nounaperitif, nounbaby milk, nounbar, nounbarfly, nounbarhop, verbbarkeeper, nounbarley wine, nounbarmaid, nounbarman, nounbartender, nounbeef tea, nounbeer, nounbenedictine, nounbeverage, nounbibulous, adjectivebistro, nounbitter, nounblack, adjectivebootleg, verbbooze, nounboozer, nounbooze-up, nounboozing, nounboozy, adjectivebottle, verbbouquet, nounbourbon, nounbrandy, nounbreathe, verbbrew, verbbrew, nounbrewer, nounbrewery, nounbroach, verbBuck's Fizz, nounburgundy, nounbuttermilk, nouncamomile, nouncappuccino, nouncarbonated, adjectivecask, nouncellar, nounchalice, nounchampagne, nounchampers, nounchar, nounchartreuse, nounchaser, nounChelsea bun, nounchocolate, nouncider, nounclaret, nounclub soda, nouncoaster, nounCoca-Cola, cocktail, nouncocktail lounge, nouncocktail shaker, nouncocktail stick, nouncocktail waitress, nouncocoa, nouncoffee, nouncoffee bar, nouncoffee bean, nouncoffee machine, nouncoffeemaker, nouncoffee mill, nouncognac, nouncola, nounconsommé, nouncordial, nouncork, nouncork, verbcorkage, nouncorked, adjectivecorkscrew, nouncorn whiskey, nouncrème de menthe, nouncup, nouncuppa, nouncuraçao, noundaiquiri, noundecaf, noundecaffeinated, adjectivedecanter, noundessert wine, noundipsomaniac, noundissipated, adjectivedissipation, noundissolute, adjectivedistiller, noundistillery, noundram, noundraught, noundregs, noundried milk, noundrink, verbdrink, noundrinkable, adjectivedrinking fountain, noundrinking-up time, noundrinking water, noundrinks machine, noundrinks party, noundrop, noundry, adjectiveDutch courage, nounespresso, nounethyl alcohol, nounferment, verbfinger, nounfizz, nounflat, adjectivefloat, nounfortified wine, nounfroth, nounfroth, verbfrothy, adjectivefull-cream, adjectiveGandT, noungassy, adjectivegin, noungin and tonic, nounginger ale, nounginger beer, nounglass, noungreen tea, noungrenadine, noungrog, noungumbo, nounhalf, nounhalf-and-half, nounhangover, nounhappy hour, nounhead, nounhighball, nounhip flask, nounhock, nounhogshead, nounhome brew, nounhooch, nounhot chocolate, nounice bucket, nounice cube, nounice water, nouninfuse, verbinfusion, nounintoxicant, nounintoxicating, adjectiveIrish coffee, nounjar, nounjigger, nounjuice, nounkeg, nounkirsch, nounlace, verblager, nounlandlord, nounlemon, nounlemonade, nounlicensed, adjectivelicensing laws, nounlight, adjectivelight ale, nounlimeade, nounliqueur, nounliquor, nounlite, adjectivelocal, nounlounge bar, nounMadeira, nounmagnum, nounmalt, nounmalted, nounmalt liquor, nounmaraschino, nounmargarita, nounMartini, nounmash, nounmature, adjectivemature, verbmead, nounmeasure, nounmellow, verbmilk, nounmilk shake, nounmilky, adjectivemineral water, nounmint julep, nounmix, verbmixer, nounmocha, nounmoonshine, nounmulled wine, nounneat, adjectivenectar, nounnightcap, nounnip, nounnoggin, nounnon-alcoholic, adjectiveoff-licence, nounopen bar, nounorangeade, nounouzo, nounpale ale, nounparalytic, adjectivepasteurized, adjectivepercolate, verbperk, verbperry, nounpick-me-up, nounpiña colada, nounpink gin, nounpint, nounplonk, nounpop, nounport, nounporter, nounprohibitionist, nounproof, nounpunch, nounquaff, verbrake, nounrat-arsed, adjectivered, nounrefill, nounrefreshment, nounretsina, nounring-pull, nounroot beer, nounrosé, nounrotgut, nounrum, nounrye, nounsake, nounsaloon, nounsangria, nounsarsaparilla, nounschnapps, nounScotch, nounscrewdriver, nounscrumpy, nounsediment, nounsemi-skimmed milk, nounshake, nounshaker, nounshandy, nounshebeen, nounsherry, nounshort, nounshot, nounsiphon, nounsix-pack, nounskimmed milk, nounslimline, adjectivesloe gin, nounslug, nounslush, nounsnifter, nounsoda, nounsoda siphon, nounsoda water, nounsoft drink, nounsparkling, adjectivespeakeasy, nounspike, verbspirit, nounsplash, nounspritzer, nounsquash, nounstein, nounstewed, adjectivestill, adjectivestill, nounstout, nounstraight, adjectivestraw, nounsundowner, nounsup, verbswig, verbswill, verbswizzle stick, nountab, nountable wine, nountall, adjectivetankard, nountavern, nountea, nounteabag, nounteahouse, nountea leaves, nountearoom, nountea shop, nountea urn, nountemperance, nountequila, nountied house, nountippler, nountoddy, nountonic, nountop-up, nountot, nounTurkish coffee, nountwo-percent milk, nounUHT milk, noununcork, verbvermouth, nounvintage, adjectivevintage, nounvintner, nounvodka, nounwater, verbwatering hole, nounweak, adjectivewet bar, nounwhisky, nounwhite, adjectivewine cooler, nounwrecked, adjectiveyeast, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY This bush grows tall very quickly. He’s only 5 feet tall. How tall is that building?COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Victor seemed to grow taller every day. Sam was tall, dark, and handsome. John stood six feet tall.
This bush grows tall very quickly. He’s only 5 feet tall. How tall is that building?· The park was surrounded by tall buildings.
· I walked with the tall grass brushing my knees.
Victor seemed to grow taller every day. Sam was tall, dark, and handsome. John stood six feet tall. (=one that is difficult to believe and unlikely to be true)· She enjoyed making up tall tales to tell the children.
· We want to become the best team in the world.
· It is the world’s largest car manufacturer.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· The wheels were almost as tall as he was.· McCarran was hardly as tall as his shoulder.· That blade was almost as tall as Felix, and Felix was a tall man.· Next to the ring was a large box as tall as I, also filled with dead, empty gloves.· He wasn't as tall as the marquis, but he had a wiry physique and a sound constitution.· And Moira Charles would be almost as tall as David in high heels.· Topaz had pictured her as tall and brawny as befitted a martinet.· He was at least as tall as me, perhaps an inch taller.
· Ask me how tall I am, and, without prevarication or hesitation, I will tell you.· He brings a bottle of bubbly and a basketball. How tall, fair, gentle he is!· She bet - and lost - £100,000 to record company mogul David Geffen over exactly how tall Perry was.· I du n no how tall it is, but the Christmas tree outside the caff is blummin huge.· Innes McInnes was taller than I'd expected, but then how tall should a millionaire be?· Jacob squeezed Katherine's hand, urged her up. How tall she had grown, and beautiful.· Mildred had pressed for more details. How tall?· Well, how tall is tall anyway?
· Fen was much taller and broader and his swarthy colouring was not something that had appealed to her hitherto.· An interviewer who happens to be very short may take an instant dislike to having a general manager who is much taller.· At Ostia the block is much taller, generally four storeys high and the walls are brick faced.· By twenty, Ezra had not grown much taller than the boy he was in 1941.· I was much taller than he was.· She was tall, tall enough to meet Fergus Wolff's eyes on the level, much taller than Roland.· Elaine, his wife, was much taller than him, with shoulder-length blonde hair and long legs carrying a well-rounded body.· They were much taller than me with long brown arms covered with green leaves.
· She was not so fair, nor so tall - nor so beautiful.· The trees have grown so tall, they obscure part of the view, she noted.· He was so tall he had to pull down his head when he went through most doors.· Not so tall and powerfully built that she felt as though she might break if he so much as touched her.· They make a funny mental picture because she is so short and he is so tall, just for starters.· The other man was not so tall and not nearly so good looking.· Because she was so tall and slim all the clothes looked marvellous on her and the other girls would groan their envy.
· She was too tall, too blonde to be anything but Hung Mao.· Yet, among a variety of other sweet incompatibilities, he is too tall.· Claire: It is too tall - now take some off.· The bride was too tall, and riding into the city could not fit under the city gate.· The problem was that the spire was just a little too tall and too thin for its own good.· Last year, I cut the tops off to keep them from becoming too tall.· A measured, geometric square, stood on edge, seems too tall.· I say to Ted, recalling the inconvenience of being a head too tall in a rainstorm.
· The yellow lights on their anorexic columns look mad, like cyclopean triffids, very thin, very tall.· I expected some one very small or very tall.· At four corners are smaller octagons, replicas in design of the large one and all very tall.· Time you had some aspirin and a very tall glass of water.· He was a very tall and good-looking gentleman.· So these early groups used the newly-acquired strength of their stems to grow very tall and become trees.· The sitting-room door opened and there entered a very tall woman.· She wasn't very tall - tiny, really.
NOUN· Pleasant and popular, the tallest boy in the world is not a freak at home.· Cornelius was a tall boy who had not as yet grown into his body.· A tall boy in a shrunk-up ivory sweater strolled by, hands in his pockets, singing.· The tall boy rose awkwardly, stretched and put his best foot forward.· It was furnished in a style which was new to the tall boy.
· Near the Guardian bureau there is a small park, overlooked on three sides by tall buildings.· Before the steel skeleton, tall buildings were made of stone.· A few minutes later the spaceship was falling towards a planet covered with tall buildings.· He did one of New York tall buildings, a sunny day.· When she reached Soho, a policeman directed her to Manette Street; a narrow alley between two tall buildings.· Urban environments imply low air quality very high levels of light pollution, and serious obscuration of the sky by tall buildings.· Once a smaller one buzzed by like a transparent bumble bee, below him but still above the tallest buildings.· Kuala Lumpur has twin towers that are the tallest buildings in the world.
· You barricaded your door against its tall figure.· A tall figure appeared in the canyon gloom; it had an enormous head.· Away below, a tall figure moved slowly through the trees of the demesne.· A tall figure came into view, then just as quickly vanished.· Theo saw an exceptionally tall figure.· No tall figure loomed over the till as she was serving, or appeared suddenly from behind the window displays.· I followed her gaze down the long empty platform and there at the other end stood a tall figure.· The urgent blare of his car horn drew their attention back to the sheriff's tall figure.
· In desperation, they asked Sally Carmichael for eight of her tallest girls to make up the line.· After that, to the Air, there would be a pasdedeux with the taller girls in the background.· She was a tall girl, quite pretty, I thought, and she always wore a lovely kimono robe.· Four tall girls removed all the books, then went out and returned with trays which were handed round.· As he turned the corner, a girl was heading toward him, a tall girl with a lot of blond hair.· One tall girl with curly hair only hitched for two minutes before a smiling family picked her up.· The tall girl who had despatched Rose to the telephone was now studying her face in the wall mirror.
· The newt was still squirming in the tall glass of water.· Time you had some aspirin and a very tall glass of water.· He washed and went out to the nearest bar for a tall glass of water and a coffee.· She stands quietly, to the side of a tall glass case.· She held a book, reached out to a tall glass of pale gold wine, a twin to Jay's.· It was still early and the bar seemed strange without voices and laughter and the clink of ice in tall glasses.· Yvonne was sitting at the table with a cheroot and a tall glass of wine.
· Water trickled from the brown earth near the roots of the bush and traced a dark line through the tall grass.· Weedy thickets and tall grass grew under occasional trees.· Gazzer crawled up the bank and lay down in the tall grass, pole-axed by fatigue.· Miguel drove into the tall grass with a loud crunch.· A cricket chirruped suddenly in the tall grass by his ear.· Next to the cemetery was a large pond covered with moss and tall grass crowned with silver blossoms.· To either side great chunks of masonry lay in the tall grasses, pieces of fallen statuary among them.· The sixteen slicks flared in unison with Yellow One and settled into the tall grass.
· The effect is similar to dressing a tall man in a pinstripe suit - it simply accentuates the length!· Chutra became a tall man in the saddle.· T'ai Cho was a tall man, more than five ch'i, his height emphasised by the diminutive size of the Clayborn child.· Inside the car were three dark men and a tall man in a white suit and straw hat.· He was a tall man of about 45.· The contractor was a tall man with a beer belly and a cowboy hat.· Chips Salter was an enormous man, at one time the tallest man in the Force, and he took himself seriously.
· A tall order, but the price of failure could be the end of collective security for the West.· To ask for definitive answers to such grandiose questions would, of course, be a tall order.· Holding these seemingly incompatible forces together would seem a tall order indeed.· That's a tall order, even for some one with Howard's apparent integrity.· A tall order, perhaps, though Mena Iskander was a lady of resource and intrigued by the whole situation.· It can be a tall order sometimes.· If this sounds a tall order, it is.· This is a tall order for busy parents.
· That had been their perfect existence before the empire builders had come in their tall ships.· The tall ships are sailing down the harbor for the Fourth.
· But there's still time to remember tall stories from previous superintendents.· Horden's design blended innovation and massing A tall story or a tourdeforce?· With his feeling for tall stories he's a radio natural, though.
· He wowed his colleagues after hours with tall tales.· No Baron Munchausen would have dared to imprison his saga within the limits of a tall tale.· And yet all his life, his integrity warred with a flair for the theatrical, a fondness for tall tales.
· There were tall trees here and there on either side, oak and sycamore and ash and occasionally a sweet chestnut.· With three air-force pilots along for the ride, James flew along a railroad track bordered by tall trees.· Many of the country roads are lined on either side with tall trees, at times breathtakingly beautiful.· The valley was scrubby here: elephant grass, occasional tall trees, and dry rice paddies.· Protected by high pearl-grey walls, the Palace is set in spacious grounds with many tall trees.· In addition, date farmers are finding they can make good money by selling their tallest trees to landscapers.· See the tall trees, bracken and undergrowth which skirt the clearing.· There was nothing to focus on except the trunks of the tall trees.
· He examined the long split-level room stretching away from him to the tall windows at the far end.· Sometimes it is a stone schoolhouse with tall windows.· Blue light, and silver and bronze, streamed and bounced and danced through tall windows.· Long green satin curtains had been pulled to cover the tall windows.· A dull grey winter Saturday morning was kept out by tall windows hung with faded velvet drapes.· Outside the tall windows the darkness came suddenly, unexpectedly, without any long twilight.· There the Shah worked in a large salon that looked out through tall windows on to the city below.· A rectangular conference table and four chairs, of a type provided for senior public servants, stood between the tall windows.
· Although she was not a tall woman, she had to stoop low to get through the doorway.· She walked over to a tall woman whose hair was tied with a colorful bandanna.· The sitting-room door opened and there entered a very tall woman.· She was a tall woman with a large head, a hooked nose, and an excessively large bosom and hips.· The tall woman strode to his desk and laid the folder open in front of him.· She was then a tall woman, which meant that there was nothing forthcoming for fat to grow into.· His patient was getting on for fifty, a handsome, tall woman, very well-dressed.· Leaning against her was a taller woman whose face glowed.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► the biggest/tallest/most expensive etc ... on earth
1a person, building, tree etc that is tall is a greater height than normal: - Breaking a habit, be it over-eating, over-drinking, biting your nails or jumping to conclusions, is a tall order.
- Holding these seemingly incompatible forces together would seem a tall order indeed.
- If this sounds a tall order, it is.
- Isn't that a tall order?
- It can be a tall order sometimes.
- That's a tall order, even for some one with Howard's apparent integrity.
- This is a tall order for busy parents.
- To ask for definitive answers to such grandiose questions would, of course, be a tall order.
- And yet all his life, his integrity warred with a flair for the theatrical, a fondness for tall tales.
- But there's still time to remember tall stories from previous superintendents.
- He wowed his colleagues after hours with tall tales.
- Horden's design blended innovation and massing A tall story or a tourdeforce?
- No Baron Munchausen would have dared to imprison his saga within the limits of a tall tale.
- With his feeling for tall stories he's a radio natural, though.
- Fenton stood tall and stared down the gunmen.
- Before such a leader, all enemies will cower, While Devi Lal stands tall.
- But there was Elder Seth, standing tall, and smiling just like her old man.
- Of the Warriors playing Sunday night, only Todd Fuller stood taller than 6-foot-9; four were guards.
- The only Senate list on which we stand tall: Best-Dressed, .
- Theodora stood tall and handsome in the tiny modem hall.
- They stand tall, jut their chins out, call no one Sir and can lick any man in the house.
- And walking tall: Out of the wheelchair, and into karate.
- And walking tall: Why Harry the penguin loves his new mum.
- I walked taller and the ground I walked on seemed firmer.
- Latinos have walked taller ever since.
- She walks tall and straight, a little stiff.
- They proceeded slowly back uphill, with Hyacinth walking taller at each step as she appreciated the glamour of her new condition.
- We walk tall, no longer cowed by writs.
- Whether they won or lost, they should walk tall.
He was young and tall. a house surrounded by tall trees This bush grows tall very quickly.► see thesaurus at high2you use ‘tall’ to say or ask what the height of something or someone is6ft/2m/12 inches etc tall He’s only 5 feet tall. How tall is that building? She’s a little taller than her sister.3American English a tall drink contains a small amount of alcohol mixed with a large amount of a non-alcoholic drink4a tall order informal a request or piece of work that is almost impossible: Finding a replacement is going to be a tall order.5tall story/tale a story that is so unlikely that it is difficult to believe—tallness noun [uncountable] → stand tall at stand1(39), → walk tall at walk1(10)