puny

adjective

pu·​ny ˈpyü-nē 

punier; puniest

: slight or inferior in power, size, or importance : weak

punily

ˈpyü-nə-lē 

adverb

puniness

ˈpyü-nē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of puny

• small
• diminutive
• little
• tiny

Examples of puny in a Sentence

I wouldn't mess with him—he makes bodybuilders look puny in comparison.

We laughed at their puny attempt to trick us.

Recent Examples on the Web

One of the most astute plot points involves the Minions finding early success as actors in Hollywood during the silent era but then losing their status as the talkies took over, revealing their puny, screechy voices. — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026

The magnitude of Prince Jacerys’s death was lost in the tumult of battle last week; compared to watching Vermax’s colossal frame be swallowed by the sea, the sight of a sinking boy, puny and fragile, struggled to pack a cinematic punch. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 June 2026

The ship is massive compared to other sailboats, but puny when stacked up against a cargo ship. — Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 25 June 2026

But the processes that govern gene regulation are proving so complex that some biologists wonder whether a full understanding of it — of how the genome really works — will ever be within the grasp of our puny minds. — Philip Ball, Quanta Magazine, 18 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Anglo-French puisné younger, weakly, literally, born afterward, from puis afterward + né born

First Known Use

circa 1577, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for puny

• looney
• loony
• mooney
• muni
• nguni
• sunni

Kids Definition

puny

adjective

pu·​ny ˈpyü-nē 

punier; puniest

: slight or lesser in power, size, or importance : weak

puniness noun

Etymology

from early French puisné "younger," literally, "born afterward," from puis "afterward" and né "born"