petite

Everyday

1. (of a girl or woman) Small, short and slim in a pretty way. tree →
2. Used for clothing sizes for shorter women. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life it is used in shops for clothes sizes and to describe someone politely. In stories it describes a small, neat character. A borrowed French word. Phrases: petite size.

Examples

• My aunt is petite and wears small shoes. tree →
• The shop has a petite section. tree →
• The petite dancer leapt across the stage. tree →
• She looked petite next to her tall brother. tree →
• These jeans come in petite and tall. tree →
• A petite girl in a red coat waved at us. tree →

Note

Borrowed from French (meaning small); say «puh-TEET». Mostly used of women, not men or objects. It is polite and positive, unlike «tiny» or «skinny».