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

The wipeout has erased over $265 billion in market cap; Blackstone and Blue Owl are now trading far below their levels of late 2021, and the sudden drop left KKR, Apollo and Ares showing puny, market-trailing gains over that near half-decade. —Shawn Tully, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026

By contrast, the G-Wiz is comparatively puny. —Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 11 Mar. 2026

Steve Rogers grows up in Brooklyn as a puny but resolute child. —Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 2026

In comparison, Mars has only a tenuous atmosphere and small patches of a puny magnetic field. —Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 27 Feb. 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"