What it means
Used for someone or something that's really small, often in an affectionate, amused way. A pint-sized kid, dog, or chaos machine might be tiny on paper but still run the whole room on pure cheek and energy. It usually sounds fond rather than nasty.
Usage examples
"The pint-sized goalkeeper saved three penalties and the whole stand was chanting his name by the end."
"My niece is pint-sized but the moment the music drops she clears the floor, the cousins just step back and watch her work the kitchen tiles."
"Pint-sized terrier with an oversized attitude, the wee chap chased a fox out the garden last Tuesday and came back looking dead pleased with himself."
"He's pint-sized, yeah, but give him a football and suddenly the whole park's chasing shadows."
"Our new manager's a bit pint-sized and still somehow had six blokes twice his size moving sharp by nine."
Where it comes from
Recorded in English by the late 1800s, literally meaning the size of a pint. From there it slid into figurative use for people, especially kids, who were physically small. The pint bit gives it that cozy comic flavour, so it often sounds warm and amused instead of mean.
Other ways to say it
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