it's a small world

phrase

Used to express surprise at meeting an acquaintance or discovering a personal connection in a distant place or an unexpected context.

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Meanings

phrase

alternative what a small world · alternative small world

  1. Used to express surprise at meeting an acquaintance or discovering a personal connection in a distant place or an unexpected context.

    “I have met my young photographer,” said De Stancy, cheerily. “What a small world it is, as every busybody truly observes! I am wishing he could take some views for us as we go on; but you have no apparatus with you, I suppose, Mr. Dare?”

    1880–1881, Thomas Hardy, chapter I, in A Laodicean; or, The Castle of the De Stancys. A Story of To-day. […], volume III, London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington, […], published 1881, →OCLC, book the fifth (De Stancy and Paula), page 40

Translations

Catalan el món és un mocador
  • el món és un mocadorphrase used in an unexpected encounter
Chinese Mandarin 好巧
  • 好巧 (hǎo qiǎo)phrase used in an unexpected encounter
Finnish maailma on pieni
  • maailma on pieniphrase used in an unexpected encounter
French le monde est petit
  • le monde est petitphrase used in an unexpected encounter
German die Welt ist klein, wie klein die Welt ist
  • die Welt ist kleinphrase used in an unexpected encounter
  • wie klein die Welt istphrase used in an unexpected encounter
  • die Welt ist ein Dorfphrase used in an unexpected encounter
Hungarian kicsi a világ
  • kicsi a világphrase used in an unexpected encounter
Irish is fánach an áit a bhfaighfeá gliomach
  • is fánach an áit a bhfaighfeá gliomachphrase used in an unexpected encounter
Italian il mondo è piccolo, com'è piccolo il mondo
  • il mondo è piccolophrase used in an unexpected encounter
  • com'è piccolo il mondophrase used in an unexpected encounter
  • come è piccolo il mondophrase used in an unexpected encounter
Japanese 世間は広い様で狭い, 世界は狭い
  • 世間は広い様で狭い (seken wa hiroi yō de semai)phrase used in an unexpected encounter
  • 世界は狭い (sekai wa semai)phrase used in an unexpected encounter
  • 世間は狭い (seken wa semai)phrase used in an unexpected encounter
Polish jaki ten świat mały
  • jaki ten świat małyphrase used in an unexpected encounter
Portuguese o mundo é pequeno
  • o mundo é pequenophrase used in an unexpected encounter
Romanian ce mică e lumea
  • ce mică e lumeaphrase used in an unexpected encounter
Spanish el mundo es un pañuelo, el mundo es pequeño
  • el mundo es un pañuelophrase used in an unexpected encounter
  • el mundo es pequeñophrase used in an unexpected encounter
Swedish världen är liten
  • världen är litenphrase used in an unexpected encounter
Tagalog ang liit ng mundo
  • ang liit ng mundophrase used in an unexpected encounter
Thai โลกกลม
  • โลกกลมphrase used in an unexpected encounter
Ukrainian тісний світ
  • тісний світ (tisnyj svit)phrase used in an unexpected encounter
Cite this entry
APA

it's a small world. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/it's%20a%20small%20world

MLA

“it's a small world.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/it's%20a%20small%20world. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “it's a small world,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/it's%20a%20small%20world.

Source: it's a small world on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.