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
Relevance
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
The writer and this young woman who is both a petty criminal and a political activist.
—
Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 9 May 2025
Don't be that person who causes unnecessary family drama over what amounts to petty jealousy.
—Erin Clack, People.com, 9 May 2025
Our characters deeply love each other, and the conflict between them is about noble issues, not petty drama.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 8 May 2025
The trio seems to have little in common, and the willful misunderstanding and petty tone-policing by Serge and Marc are relentless.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for petty
Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 9 May 2025
Don't be that person who causes unnecessary family drama over what amounts to petty jealousy.
—Erin Clack, People.com, 9 May 2025
Our characters deeply love each other, and the conflict between them is about noble issues, not petty drama.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 8 May 2025
The trio seems to have little in common, and the willful misunderstanding and petty tone-policing by Serge and Marc are relentless.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for petty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for petty
Adjective
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Instead, Atkinson took up golf for the first time and renewed his connection to scientific research, not the least of which was how a small white ball repeatedly avoids a hole in the ground.—
Barbara Bry,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2025
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The Court of International Trade previously rejected the small businesses' request to temporarily pause the tariffs while their lawsuit went forward, but then quickly scheduled Tuesday’s court hearing to decide whether to rule against the tariffs or impose a longer-term pause.—
Dietrich Knauth,
USA Today,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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The main question of contemporary cinema isn’t (pace the nominal avant-garde) whether to tell a story but what story to tell, how to tell it, and, for that matter, what a story is.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
20 May 2025
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Here’s why: Although technical specifications are still being worked out, the new standard could deliver nominal peak data rates of more than 40Gbps.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
20 May 2025
Adjective
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It could not be fenced off and become a parochial one now.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
21 Apr. 2025
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Investors might want to be less parochial just as political policy becomes increasingly so.—
Ron Insana,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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President Donald Trump has enjoyed a slight uptick in favorability, according to a series of mid-May polls compiled by political analyst and statistician Nate Silver.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 May 2025
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However, at some point while walking the red carpet on Saturday, May 17, the two got mixed up in slight blunder when the Twilight star, 39, ended up standing on top of his costar's elegant Dior gown that, according to Vogue, took 250 hours to create.—
Michelle Lee,
People.com,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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During the trial, Amélie testified that Depardieu grabbed her hips in a narrow corridor and started touching her, pointing to her buttocks, hip, and pubic area.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
13 May 2025
-
Sherrill has held a consistent yet narrow lead in recent surveys.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 May 2025
Adjective
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Harnessing The Power Of Data For AI The data in your organization’s repositories, even the data that seems trivial, like emails or archived contracts, has inherent value to your business.—
Jesse Todd,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
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Matt steps outside his Hollywood bubble and realizes how small and trivial his problems are.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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And while most Americans have heard about the stock market fluctuations, 20 percent have heard little about them or nothing at all.—
Ruth Igielnik,
New York Times,
18 May 2025
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On the comparable activities, there was little in the way of either selling horses or otherwise disposing of them.—
Peter J Reilly,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2025
Adjective
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Frankly, the more trifling the crime, the better this franchise’s comedy aspirations would work.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Apr. 2025
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With that much water needed for even the most trifling tasks, the natural question becomes: How does that water reach those data centers, let alone the world’s farms and factories?—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
28 May 2010
Cite this Entry
“Petty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petty. Accessed 26 May. 2025.
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