teeny

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈtiː.ni/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈti.ni/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːni
• Hyphenation: tee‧ny

Etymology 1

Alteration of tiny, possibly with a childish or fanciful intention. First attested in 1825.

Adjective

teeny (comparative teenier, superlative teeniest)

1. (informal) Very small; tiny.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:small

Derived terms

• teeny-tiny
• teeny weeny

Translations

informal: very small — see also small

• Finnish: pikkiriikkinen (fi)
• French: tout petit
• Italian: piccolo piccolo
• Plautdietsch: grennauzje
• Slavomolisano: poppet

Etymology 2

From teen +‎ -y or a clipping of teenybopper.

Alternative forms

• teenie

Noun

teeny (plural teenies)

1. (colloquial, rare) A teenager; a teenybopper.
   • 1999 July 21, Denise Grauzinis, “want to be crew”, in alt.sailing.boats.crew‎^[1] (Usenet), archived from the original on 1 April 2026:

     We just moved to Belgium, my husband is a naval architect and was sailing and designing sailing yachts since years, I was sailing smaller boats since I was a teeny, both are very interested to get back into active sailing.

   • 2000 March 15, Ratbert, “Fucking Idiots Who Shouldn't Be Playing This Game”, in alt.games.everquest‎^[2] (Usenet), archived from the original on 1 April 2026:

     ahh there we go with that "most teenager"^[sic] crap again. Its been a while since I was a teeny, but I've met a lot of teens that are a lot more mature than adults I know that are in their 30's and 40's even. Come on with the generalizations already.. do you say thing^[sic] like "what do you expect from mexicans" too??

   • 2000 December 9, Absolutely Cynthia Marie, “THE TYPE OF CRAP THAT WAS ON THE RADIO in the early Sixties”, in alt.fan.kinks‎^[3] (Usenet), archived from the original on 1 April 2026:

     When I was a teeny in the late 80s, I like^[sic] 50s/60s music like that which you listed below as well as the Beatles. I simply found it fun and easier on the ears than Madonna and Paula Abdul.

Related terms

• teenybopper, teeny-bopper

See also

• “teeny”, in Collins English Dictionary, 2011–present.
• “teeny, adj.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “teeny”, in Merriam-Webster.com Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.

Anagrams

• yente