20 Small Tattoos With Big Meanings | The Odyssey Online
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Meaningful Small Tattoos: 20 Tiny Designs That Speak Volumes

Tattoos with meaning you can't deny.

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A young woman expresses herself with a small tattoo that carries great meaning

In This Article:

It's tough to find perfect tattoos with meaning.

You probably want something permanent on your body to mean something deeply, but how do you choose a tattoo that will still be significant in 5, 10, 15, or 50 years? Over time, tattoos have lost much of their stigma and many people consider them a form of art, but it's still possible to get a tattoo you regret.

So here are 20 tattoos you can't go wrong with. Each tattoo has its own unique meaning, but don't blame me if you still have to deal with questions that everyone with a tattoo is tired of hearing!

SEE RELATED: "Please Stop Asking What My Tattoos Mean"

A semicolon

A semicolon tiny tattoo

A semicolon indicates a pause in a sentence but does not end. Sometimes it seems like you may have stopped, but you choose to continue on.

"A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor."

A smooth sea-inspired lyrical tiny tattoo

Unclosed Delta, Strategy Symbols

An unclosed Delta tiny tattoo

Top symbol: unclosed delta symbol which represents open to change. Bottom symbol: strategy.

Open Moon

An open moon tiny tattoo

"There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls."

Viking Symbol

A Viking symbol tiny tattoo

Meaning "create your own reality."

Greek symbol of Inguz

A Greek symbol Inguz tiny tattoo

Where there's a will, there's a way

Deer

A deer tiny tattoo

Psalm 18:33 "He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights."

'Ohm'

An Ohm tiny tattoo

Represents 4 different states of consciousness and a world of illusion: waking (jagrat), dreaming (swapna), deep sleep (sushupti), transcendental state (turiya) and world of illusion (maya).

Alchemy

An alchemy tiny tattoo

Symbolizes copper, means love, balance, feminine beauty, and artistic creativity.

The Greek word “Meraki" 

A Greek word tiny tattoo

To do something with soul, passion, love, and creativity or to put yourself into whatever you do.

Malin (Skövde, Sweden)

A Malin tiny tattoo

You have to face setbacks to be able to go forward.

Symbol meaning "thief" from "The Hobbit"

A thief symbol tiny tattoo

It was the rune Gandalf etched into Bilbo's door so the dwarves could find his house.

“Lux in tenebris"

A Latin phrase tiny tattoo

Means "light in darkness."

Anchor Tattoo

An anchor tiny tattoo

Symbolizing strength and stability, something (or someone) who holds you in place, and provides you the strength to hold on no matter how rough things get.

Ad Maiora"

A Latin phrase tiny tattoo

Translated literally as "Towards greater things." It is a formula of greeting used to wish more success in life, career or love.

A glyph

A glyph tiny tattoo

Means "explore." It was meant as a reminder for me to never stop exploring.

"Aut inveniam viam aut faciam"

A Latin phrase for a tiny tattoo

Means roughly, "Either I shall find a way, or I will make one."

Lotus Flower

A lotus flower tiny tattoo

It grows in muddy water, and it is this environment that gives forth the flower's first and most literal meaning: rising and blooming above the murk to achieve enlightenment.

The zen (or ensō) circle

A zen circle tiny tattoo

Represents enlightenment, the universe and the strength we all have inside of us.

The moon affirms life.

A moon-affirming life tattoo

It looks as if it is constantly changing. Can remind us of the inconsistency of life. It also symbolizes the continuous circular nature of time and even karma.



SEE ALSO: Sorry That You're Offended, But I Won't Apologize For My Tattoos

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