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
Trump's insults carry more weight now No one expects anything more than cheap, petty insults from Trump.
—
Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 18 July 2025
Alas, to watch Unchained was to immerse yourself in the petty, small-potatoes drama surrounding French cycling—and to absorb this not-so vital information via subtitles.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 16 July 2025
For the true believers, the allure of the rock transcends such petty squabbles.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
The Moon is opposite Mercury in your sign, and this can trigger petty squabbles.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for petty
Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 18 July 2025
Alas, to watch Unchained was to immerse yourself in the petty, small-potatoes drama surrounding French cycling—and to absorb this not-so vital information via subtitles.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 16 July 2025
For the true believers, the allure of the rock transcends such petty squabbles.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
The Moon is opposite Mercury in your sign, and this can trigger petty squabbles.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for petty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for petty
Adjective
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The Kitchen by Cooking with Que is open to the public Fridays and Saturdays as a small café. Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@freepress.com.—
Susan Selasky,
Freep.com,
25 July 2025
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Bringing bold wallpaper into a small space can be a fun way to add a bit of a ‘wow’ factor, and that is precisely what Laws did in this 40-square-foot half-bath.—
Lennie Omalza,
The Courier-Journal,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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However, New Delhi must address a number of chronic systemic issues that prevent the world’s fourth largest economy ($4.19 trillion by nominal gross domestic product) from becoming a competitive manufacturing destination.—
Kamran Bokhari,
Forbes.com,
17 July 2025
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The Congressional Budget Office projected the increase in migrants would boost the U.S. nominal GDP by $8.9 trillion between 2024 to 2034.—
Christiaan Hetzner,
Fortune,
15 July 2025
Adjective
-
South suburban committee members, meanwhile, showed parochial loyalty to Kelly.—
Rick Pearson,
Chicago Tribune,
19 July 2025
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In a chamber fraught with parochial interests and personalities in spades, the sprint to finish this by the July 4 holiday is going to be clipped.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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Car buyers are benefiting from a slight downturn in interest rates, too.—
Susan Tompor,
Freep.com,
31 July 2025
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The agency also issued forecast alerts of slight sea level changes for the rest of Japan’s coastline.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
30 July 2025
Adjective
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Mona Jones said that was no cakewalk: The bridge over the Salt River didn't exist in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and State Route 87, the Beeline Highway, was just a narrow two-lane road.—
Debra Utacia Krol,
AZCentral.com,
24 July 2025
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But its critics say EA continues to make narrow and curious choices that neglect both systemic issues and the complexly human reasons people give, as a battle for billions rages on.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
24 July 2025
Adjective
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Regal is selling these services with a cost-savings pitch, but that may be trivial compared to the benefits of good customer service that technology can provide.—
Bill Conerly,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
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While this matter may be trivial, family members not respecting how others present and share food can, over time, ruffle feathers in a household.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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Since all the council members sit on the budget committee that voted and heard budget, little, if anything, in the budget is expected to change.—
Scott Wartman,
The Enquirer,
30 July 2025
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The 2023 impeachment trial of Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, who was acquitted in a Senate impeachment trial on a range of charges including bribery and abuse of office, appeared to have done little to undermine his standing among voters.—
John C. Moritz,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
Adjective
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Pixar has long stood out by bringing something less trifling to theatergoing families.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
15 July 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Petty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petty. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.
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