as in diminutive
having a small and thin body
—usually used to describe a woman or girl
She's petite and has short black hair. a petite young woman
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of petite
Delicate accessories, like a metallic heel and petite pearl pendant, add just the right amount of shine without distracting from the ring.
—
Rosie Jarman, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2026
Ensuite baths are similarly petite, but much of the room is given over to the generously sized shower stocked with Elm Organics bath amenities.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Apr. 2026
Here’s how Anne packed her cottage’s petite footprint with plenty of personality and functionality.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2026
There’s also a marked interest in petite cakes for smaller (or even solo) gatherings.
—Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for petite
Rosie Jarman, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2026
Ensuite baths are similarly petite, but much of the room is given over to the generously sized shower stocked with Elm Organics bath amenities.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Apr. 2026
Here’s how Anne packed her cottage’s petite footprint with plenty of personality and functionality.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2026
There’s also a marked interest in petite cakes for smaller (or even solo) gatherings.
—Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for petite
Recent Examples of Synonyms for petite
Adjective
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But after three games in the first round of the playoffs, with the Knicks down to the Atlanta Hawks, 2–1, Brown put Towns with the ball at the three-point line, and the diminutive Brunson darted toward the center.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
10 May 2026
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In New York, Kathy Butterly’s diminutive pieces sold out at James Cohan at $45,000 each.—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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By 1900, the Irish-speaking areas were a ragged patchwork of smallish standalone zones, clinging to the island’s western and southern shores.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
4 May 2026
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So moving Stankoven to the middle in training camp certainly raised the eyebrows of many, especially considering Carolina has several other smallish players among its forward corps.—
Cory Lavalette,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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The collection, available May 7-10 at participating Krispy Kreme shops nationwide, mixes two new mini doughnuts with two fan favorites, according to the chain.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
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Jo and Naomi McPherson were playing out of mini amps.—
Katie Gavin,
Time,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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Olah is a boyish, elfin prodigy who, at nineteen, met Amodei on his first visit to the Bay Area.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
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That effort also brought back the rare frosted elfin butterfly for the first time in decades.—
Diana Stralberg,
The Conversation,
17 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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This semi-dwarf agapanthus sparkles with clusters of violet-blue flowers atop sturdy stems that make excellent cuttings.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
21 Apr. 2026
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The bond between the dwarf calf and the aging horse blossomed over the following months.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Designed by the label’s then creative director, Olivier Rousteing, the unorthodox gown was sculpted based on a cast of Tyla’s body, then created out of three different colors of sand mixed with micro-crystal studs, providing extra sparkle down to the tip of her mermaid train.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
1 May 2026
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To map the molecular structure of the scorpions’ weaponry, the researchers used high-resolution scanning electron microscopy coupled with micro-X-ray fluorescence imaging.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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One new study looked at how the coloring of microplastics – the tiny bits of plastics found everywhere from our rivers to our brains – may actually be helping increase temperatures.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
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The lab didn't take DNA samples from each fish, which can be done by clipping off a tiny bit of one fin.—
Nell Greenfieldboyce,
NPR,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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August 23 – September 22 One small fix today could make everything run better.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
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These mad scientists then trained a small flock of sheep to recognize four celebrities—Emma Watson, Barack Obama, Jake Gyllenhaal, and the BBC newsreader Fiona Bruce—from their pictures on the internet.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Petite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petite. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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