A compact syringe comprises a cylindrical barrel, a stopper movable within the barrel and a detachable clip-on plunger. The plunger has a resilient c-shaped shaft for clipping onto the barrel's exterior when the syringe is not in use. When in use, the plunger is removed from the barrel and its c-shaped shaft is compressed slightly and then inserted into the rear end of the barrel to apply movement force to the stopper. The clip-on plunger reduces the amount of storage space required by the compact syringe. Reducing syringe storage space is of particular importance for disposable, single-use syringes.