dwarf

UK: /ˈdwɔː^rf/ US: /dwɔrf/ ,(dwôrf )

Inflections of 'dwarf' (n):

dwarfs

npl

dwarves

npl

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

dwarf /dwɔrf/   n., pl. dwarfs, dwarves /dwɔrvz/   adj., v. 

n. [countable]

1. Pathology a person of abnormally small size.
2. Botany, Zoology an animal or plant much smaller than the average.
3. Mythology a small, imaginary being, often represented as a tiny old man, who is skilled as a worker and has magical powers.

adj. [before a noun]

4. of unusually small stature or size:
   dwarf marigolds.

v. [~ + object]

5. to cause to seem small in size, etc., as by being much larger:
   This current budget crisis dwarfs all our previous troubles.

dwarf•ish, adj. 
dwarf•ism, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

dwarf  (dwôrf ), n., pl. dwarfs, dwarves, adj., v. 
n. 

1. Pathology a person of abnormally small stature owing to a pathological condition, esp. one suffering from cretinism or some other disease that produces disproportion or deformation of features and limbs.
2. Botany, Zoology an animal or plant much smaller than the average of its kind or species.
3. Mythology (in folklore) a being in the form of a small, often misshapen and ugly, man, usually having magic powers.
4. Astronomy See dwarf star. 

adj. 

5. of unusually small stature or size;
   diminutive.

v.t. 

6. to cause to appear or seem small in size, extent, character, etc., as by being much larger or better:
   He dwarfed all his rivals in athletic ability.
7. to make dwarf or dwarfish;
   prevent the due development of.

v.i. 

8. to become stunted or smaller.

• bef. 900; Middle English dwerf, Old English dweorh; replacing Middle English dwerg, Old English dweorg; cognate with Old High German twerg, Old Norse dvergr

dwarf′like′, adj. 
dwarf′ness, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. Dwarf, midget, pygmy are terms for a very small person. A dwarf is someone checked in growth or stunted, or in some way not normally formed. A midget (not in technical use) is someone perfect in form and normal in function, but diminutive. A pygmy is properly a member of one of certain small-sized peoples of Africa and Asia, but the word is often used imprecisely to mean dwarf or midget.
  Dwarf is a term often used to describe very small plants.
  Pygmy is used to describe very small animals.
• 2. runt, miniature.

Antonyms

• 1, 5. giant.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

dwarf / dwɔːf/ noun (dwarfs, dwarves / dwɔːvz/)

1. an unusually short person
2. an animal or plant much below the average height for the species
3. (as modifier): a dwarf tree
4. (in folklore) a small ugly manlike creature, often possessing magical powers
5. short for dwarf star

verb

1. to become or cause to become comparatively small in size, importance, etc
2. (transitive) to stunt the growth of

Etymology: Old English dweorg; related to Old Norse dvergr, Old High German twerc

ˈdwarfish adjective