as in diminutive
of a size that is less than average
a pygmy elephant
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also pigmy
1
as in dwarf
something (such as an animal) much smaller than others of its kind
hummingbirds may be the pygmies of the avian world, but what they lack in size they make up for in beauty
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in number
a person of no importance or influence
regrettably, most of the candidates for the party's nomination that year were political pygmies
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pygmy
Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2025
And with many fewer moths, the pygmy possum's future is even bleaker.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 12 Jan. 2025
Currently, there are fewer than 3,000 pygmy hippos in the wild, according to San Diego Zoo.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 May 2025
Complicating their life on a pygmy goat sanctuary in Vermont is a crew of old friends who live nearby, several of them in the same house.
—Sam Thielman, New York Times, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pygmy
Noun
Listen to this article A Ramona Wildlife Center pygmy hippo that was rescued more than two decades ago broke a world record this weekend by becoming the oldest living captive pygmy hippo in recorded history, San Diego Humane Society officials said.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2025
And with many fewer moths, the pygmy possum's future is even bleaker.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 12 Jan. 2025
Currently, there are fewer than 3,000 pygmy hippos in the wild, according to San Diego Zoo.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 May 2025
Complicating their life on a pygmy goat sanctuary in Vermont is a crew of old friends who live nearby, several of them in the same house.
—Sam Thielman, New York Times, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pygmy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pygmy
Adjective
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Pauline’s diminutive redesign has raised plenty of questions, although Nintendo rarely seems interested in providing any answers from DK lore.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
1 July 2025
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Shoutout to the diminutive Mooney, who gets full marks for his effort level and compete at his size.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
Noun
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Tell me a little bit about the technical side of filming a dwarf and an elf together.—
Devan Coggan,
EW.com,
13 Oct. 2022
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Other new characters include Disa, the first female dwarf ever shown in the Lord of the Rings series.—
Ethan Millman,
Rolling Stone,
22 July 2022
Noun
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When the track was first certified, those numbers only included actual sales, but in the past several years, streaming activity has been added to the RIAA’s methodology.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
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In May, Patel told Congress his goal is to move about 10% of the Bureau's Washington workforce — about 1,500 people — away from the D.C. area and redeploy them across the country, including a sizable number of personnel at the FBI's facility in Huntsville, Alabama.—
Scott MacFarlane,
CBS News,
1 July 2025
Adjective
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While the headline-grabbing CEOs are interesting, hearing the stories of smaller companies is absolutely fascinating.—
Toni Fitzgerald,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
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The local government of the small and far-from-wealthy hometown of Pope Leo XIV has voted to acquire the former Robert Prevost’s childhood home as a future museum.—
Howard Husock,
National Review,
12 July 2025
Noun
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This is an interactive robot toy and pet camera on wheels with a 2K HD camera, two-way audio, and a laser toy.—
Simon Hill,
Wired News,
10 July 2025
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But soft drink bottles can be turned into fiberfill for coats and sleeping bags; milk jugs can be made into toys; and polystyrene food containers can be recycled into cafeteria food trays.—
LEW SICHELMAN,
Miami Herald,
10 July 2025
Noun
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Your images also need protection from insects and rodents.—
Kathy Barnes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 July 2025
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Turkeys foraging in agricultural areas in the fall and spring eat mostly waste grains, wild plants, insects, and young grasses.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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Map out revenue producing divisions by their profit and loss numbers, evaluate direct margins for the division, identify the weakest division that perpetually makes little or no direct margin and sacrifice them.—
Shivaram Rajgopal,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
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But most of the middle part is missing, and there’s little to explain how the event unfolded from one stage to the next.—
Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi,
Discover Magazine,
5 July 2025
Noun
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Most of the movie is a vaguely comical swipe at Napoleon in domestic life—an awkward lover, a jealous husband, an inveterate complainer, and in sum an annoying twerp.—
Kyle Smith,
WSJ,
21 Nov. 2023
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Kind of a little twerp, now and again.—
Ashley Fetters Maloy,
Washington Post,
7 Nov. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Pygmy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pygmy. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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