noun
- very small people or things; people or things that are tiny in size
- people who are petty or small-minded in their thinking or behavior
Usage: often capitalized when referring to the fictional inhabitants of Lilliput from Gulliver’s Travels
Usage: figurative use; often derogatory
Examples
- The children’s book featured a land of lilliputians who lived in mushroom houses.
- In Swift’s novel, the Lilliputians tied down Gulliver while he slept.
- The miniature village looked like it was built for lilliputians.
- He dismissed his critics as mere lilliputians who couldn’t grasp his grand vision.
- The toy soldiers looked like lilliputians marching across the table.
- She felt surrounded by lilliputians who were obsessed with trivial office politics.