small remark

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'small remark' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you wish to refer to a comment that is brief in length or unimportant in nature. For example, "I made a small remark about the weather, but no one seemed to care."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

They know which veterans are hurt; they absorb every small remark by an assistant coach and mentally pluck at it, like a daisy: He likes me, he likes me not.

The New York Times - Sports

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Besides small remarks about systems previously quoted by other authors, new designs found in the literature are described.

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

Pinter's "Betrayal," with a similar time scheme, performed a kind of archeological dig into the temperamental makeup of its characters; moving backward, it found hints of the disastrous behavior of the present in small remarks and acts of long ago.

The New Yorker

Uncovering this gem was a bit of work, but again small remarks steered me to the Mrs. and she exposed that Keys and Paul had known each other before this moment and had actually collaborated years earlier.

Huffington Post

But if it has been around two weeks and they still make small remarks, tell them to stop.

WikiHow

It's so annoying how much the smallest remark can stick with me all day.

Vice

This is not some small offhand remark.

The Washington Post

For any δ>0 small, by Remark 3.6 (ii), ({v^{1}_{0}}, {v^{2}_{0}}) are uniformly continuous viscosity semisolutions of the following PDE: begin{array}rcl@ partial_{t} v + Gleft t, textbf{0}, v, partial_{x} v, partial^{2}_{xx} vright) =0,quad (t,x in D^{varepsilon,delta}_{1}. end{array}.

Probability, Uncertainty and Quantitative Risk

CLEVELAND ― Donald Trump's pronouncement last year that Mexico was sending criminals and rapists to the U.S. had a small positive remark at the end.

Huffington Post

It would have been interesting to see more consideration of new technology, especially social networking, and how it has changed joke telling, increasing the speed of response and ensuring that a trace is left even by the smallest stray remark.

The New York Times - Books

"It's not a bad place to live here, but it's too small," she remarked.

Los Angeles Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "small remark" when you want to downplay the significance or impact of a statement. This can be useful in softening criticism or minimizing the importance of a casual comment.

Common error

Avoid attributing undue importance or drawing significant conclusions from what is intended to be a minor or insignificant comment. The phrase "small remark" suggests the comment should be treated lightly.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "small remark" functions primarily as a noun phrase where the adjective "small" modifies the noun "remark". Ludwig AI confirms the phrase is grammatically sound and suitable for use in written English, indicating it follows standard English grammar rules.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

25%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Wiki

8%

Encyclopedias

7%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "small remark" is a grammatically correct phrase used to describe a brief or insignificant comment. According to Ludwig AI, it’s suitable for use in written English. It is most frequently found in News & Media, Science, and Academic contexts, suggesting a neutral level of formality. Alternatives such as "minor comment" or "brief comment" can be used depending on the specific nuance you want to convey. When using this phrase, remember to avoid overemphasizing the remark's importance, as the phrase itself implies it should be treated lightly.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

minor comment

Replaces "remark" with a more general term "comment", keeping the emphasis on the insignificance.

brief comment

Substitutes "small" with "brief", focusing on the short duration of the comment.

little comment

Uses "little" instead of "small" to convey the remark's lack of importance.

slight observation

Replaces both "remark" and "small" to suggest a subtle and unimportant statement.

passing comment

Indicates the comment was made casually and without much thought.

casual remark

Highlights the informal nature of the comment.

fleeting comment

Emphasizes the remark's brief and transient nature.

minor statement

Uses a more formal term "statement" but keeps the "minor" adjective to show its unimportance.

insignificant comment

Directly states that the comment is not important.

trivial observation

Replaces "remark" with "observation" and highlights the lack of significance.

FAQs

How can I use "small remark" in a sentence?

You can use "small remark" to describe a brief or insignificant comment. For example, "He dismissed her concerns as a "small remark" made in passing".

What's a good alternative to "small remark"?

Alternatives include "minor comment", "brief comment", or "casual remark", depending on the context you wish to convey.

Is it ever appropriate to ignore a "small remark"?

Yes, if a "small remark" is clearly unintentional or insignificant, it may be best to ignore it to avoid unnecessary conflict or overreaction.

How does a "small remark" differ from a "significant statement"?

A "small remark" is a brief, often casual comment that carries little weight, while a "significant statement" is an important declaration that usually requires careful consideration and may have consequences.