1 a person, building, tree, etc. that is tall has a greater than average height: He was tall and thin. a house surrounded by tall trees2used when you say or ask what the height of something or someone is: Lorna is a little taller than her husband.How tall is the Eiffel Tower?three feet/two meters etc. tall Tammy is only five feet tall.3be a tall order informal if a request or piece of work is a tall order, it will be almost impossible for you to do: Finding time to read to their kids is a tall order for busy parents.4tall tale/story a story that is difficult to believe, because the events in it are very exciting, dangerous, etc.5a tall drink contains a small amount of alcohol mixed with a large amount of juice, soda, etc.6a tall drink of water old-fashioned humorous someone, especially a woman, who is very tall [Origin: Old English getæl quick, ready]—tallness noun [uncountable] → see also stand tallat stand1 (26), walk tallat walk1 (10)