1
as in small
not broad or open in views or opinions
a petty little town that was not ethnically diverse and very happy about the situation
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nominal
so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention
obsessed over even petty problems
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of petty
Or choose the petty path and appeal it which we were prepared for.
—
John Lynch, Arkansas Online, 22 Oct. 2025
But, God, to be able to play a Pablo Escobar who was just petty and wanted friends, there was something so stupid and so hilarious about that to me.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2025
The thought of this act of petty vengefulness, and others like it, were later on to fill me with remorse.
—Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2025
The scale of that tragedy may be what makes Harris’s complaints seem so petty, however well founded many of them may be, and her deflection of responsibility so grating.
—Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for petty
John Lynch, Arkansas Online, 22 Oct. 2025
But, God, to be able to play a Pablo Escobar who was just petty and wanted friends, there was something so stupid and so hilarious about that to me.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2025
The thought of this act of petty vengefulness, and others like it, were later on to fill me with remorse.
—Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2025
The scale of that tragedy may be what makes Harris’s complaints seem so petty, however well founded many of them may be, and her deflection of responsibility so grating.
—Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for petty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for petty
Adjective
-
Add the ginger during the last minute of cooking, then transfer the mixture to a small bowl and set aside.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Martin knocked on the hunter’s small tent.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The focus was to provide more attacking numbers in advanced areas to maintain territorial dominance, with a midfield pair — or ‘double pivot’ — providing the defensive foundation behind a nominal front four.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Alongside contemporaries including Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill and Maxwell, the neo-soul class focused on recapturing the live, thick instrumentation, rich songwriting and weighted, passionate delivery of its nominal genre predecessor.—
Trevor Anderson,
Billboard,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The move likely seeks to rein in parochial infighting between military branches, which compete for congressional funding every year despite Hegseth and the White House officially controlling the process.—
Davis Winkie,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
-
The disagreement is colored by Maine’s parochial politics.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
As her new album opens, Brandi Carlile is having a slight argument with herself.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
28 Oct. 2025
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The whisky is lovely despite its age (remember, sometimes older whiskies are not actually that good), with notes of caramel, licorice, mango, apple, berry, cinnamon, and a slight wisp of smoke on the palate.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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United, some of whose senior leadership team, including its chief executive, Scott Kirby, came from American, has done the opposite and is in the process of adding thousands of screens to narrow-body planes both new and old, including Bluetooth technology for wireless headphones.—
Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
26 Oct. 2025
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The Fitzgerald was designed to carry as much cargo as possible and still fit through the narrow locks at Sault Ste.—
Kevin Duchschere,
Boston Herald,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Maybe autocracy starts with something as trivial as this.—
John M. Crisp,
Twin Cities,
22 Oct. 2025
-
The trivial things become the big things because the big things have gone away.—
Essence,
Essence,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Inside, two picnic tables were stacked on top of each other, leaving little room to climb.—
Quinn Clark,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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During last week's episode, viewers saw Dylan dance with his little sister, Olivia, for Dedication Night on.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Talk of mounting nuclear readiness towards Russia, which has more atomic weapons than any other country in the world, could overshadow more trifling domestic matters, like the Epstein scandal, for instance.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
2 Aug. 2025
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Pixar has long stood out by bringing something less trifling to theatergoing families.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
15 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Petty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petty. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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