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
Get these comfy, petite-friendly travel pants for as low as $25, and save up to 49 percent right now before some deals end.
—
Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 17 May 2026
This year’s promotions are especially ripe with small space-friendly gems like petite seating and versatile home decor.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 14 May 2026
The Elvissa is a shrunken, '90s-esque oval shape with curved metal arms that add architectural edge in a petite size that's great for flattering smaller faces.
—Kelsey Legg, ABC News, 13 May 2026
Because of its petite imprint, the 24-room Casa Cañita naturally gives off bed-and-breakfast vibes, thanks to a focus on home-away-from-home feels and a minimal amount of common spaces.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for petite
Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 17 May 2026
This year’s promotions are especially ripe with small space-friendly gems like petite seating and versatile home decor.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 14 May 2026
The Elvissa is a shrunken, '90s-esque oval shape with curved metal arms that add architectural edge in a petite size that's great for flattering smaller faces.
—Kelsey Legg, ABC News, 13 May 2026
Because of its petite imprint, the 24-room Casa Cañita naturally gives off bed-and-breakfast vibes, thanks to a focus on home-away-from-home feels and a minimal amount of common spaces.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for petite
Recent Examples of Synonyms for petite
Adjective
-
Winifried — whose preferred diminutive, also the name of the demon inside her, is Fred, not Winnie — isn’t the one being spooked here.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
-
That is what these playoffs have provided for Hutson, allowing more eyeballs to take in the well-roundedness of his game despite his diminutive size and his flashy offensive skills that can often divert the attention of those eyeballs elsewhere.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
The Broadway star and Glee actress stepped out in New York City and wore a short black dress with an elegant square neckline, complete with matching strappy heels, a mini bag, and dainty earrings.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
24 May 2026
-
Atkinson threw a mini tantrum then sat in his chair, the look of defeat on a coach knowing what comes next.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
24 May 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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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Semi-dwarf varieties grow to between 3 and 8 feet tall, while giant sunflowers grow at least 8 feet tall.—
Alexandra Jones,
The Spruce,
11 May 2026
-
French marigolds offer excellent pest protection, available in both dwarf and full sizes to suit any garden space.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The team looked at the octopus’s internal organs using micro-CT scanning, which collects thousands of x-ray image slices through an object that can then be put together to create a super high-resolution virtual model.—
Jeanna Bryner,
Scientific American,
24 May 2026
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Emphasize a clean, squoval nail with micro French tips.—
Kara Jillian Brown,
InStyle,
24 May 2026
Adjective
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Despite their tiny size, the devices delivered some of the strongest efficiencies reported for ultrathin perovskite solar technology.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
-
The kibble is smaller and meant for tiny mouths.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
The hit was a small smudge on Bruins ace Taylor Tinsley’s line, finishing with two strikeouts and three hits across the five innings.—
Liana Handler,
Los Angeles Times,
23 May 2026
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Four nations will be making their debut next month, including tiny Curaçao, the smallest by population ever to qualify.—
James Robson,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Petite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petite. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
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