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
On the big screen, the petite British actress portrayed one of Charles Laughton’s daughters in Hobson’s Choice (1954) and one of Peter Sellers’ daughters in Waltz of the Toreadors (1962).
—
Rhett Bartlett, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 2025
For the first course, guests can select Michael Mina’s tuna tartare, an orchard apple salad with radcicchio and white cheddar, wagyu beef carpaccio, kabocha curry soup, petite romaine cesar with caper dressing or caviar and toro.
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 27 Oct. 2025
Featuring a subtle kick flare at the hem and chic pintuck detailing, they’re designed to hit right under the calf, or just at the ankle for petite people like myself.
—Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 26 Oct. 2025
Parker was a petite 5-foot-5 and only 100 pounds, according to FBI wanted signs.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for petite
Rhett Bartlett, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 2025
For the first course, guests can select Michael Mina’s tuna tartare, an orchard apple salad with radcicchio and white cheddar, wagyu beef carpaccio, kabocha curry soup, petite romaine cesar with caper dressing or caviar and toro.
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 27 Oct. 2025
Featuring a subtle kick flare at the hem and chic pintuck detailing, they’re designed to hit right under the calf, or just at the ankle for petite people like myself.
—Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 26 Oct. 2025
Parker was a petite 5-foot-5 and only 100 pounds, according to FBI wanted signs.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for petite
Recent Examples of Synonyms for petite
Adjective
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Spanning 828 square feet, the diminutive house stands a block and a half from Long Branch Beach.—
Katie Schultz,
Architectural Digest,
5 Nov. 2025
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Tyrannosaurus rex did, in fact, have a diminutive relative in North America.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Their father, George Atkinson, spent his entire career playing an aggressive, menacing style of football that belied his smallish 6-foot, 180-pound frame.—
Jon Becker,
Mercury News,
27 Oct. 2025
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This season, Yamamoto has demonstrated not only consistency but also durability, no minor feat considering his smallish frame.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In the next few years, however, there will a mini megalopolis rising between North Tryon Street and Old Concord Road.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Nov. 2025
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Think of it as a mini mouth cleanse after dessert.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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This frog, with its long fingers and large red eyes, was found perched on tree branches in an elfin forest.—
Real-Time News team,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
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Meanwhile, as Hjalmar’s 14-year-old daughter, Hedvig, the elfin Maaike Laanstra-Corn is delivering yet another wonderfully eccentric embodiment of a high-strung tween with a potentially perilous excess of imagination.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Most standard-sized fruit trees should be spaced about 20 to 25 feet away from each other and homes, but dwarf varieties can be planted closer together.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Oct. 2025
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Look for orange trees that are compact in size, such as these dwarf and semi-dwarf varieties.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The usual suspects such as Leslie Bibb and Naomi Watts posed with their signature blond hair chopped just below their ears, while bob first-timer Naomi Campbell put a high-low spin on the style and cut micro bangs, too.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
4 Nov. 2025
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To prevent water buildup that could block energy generation, the researchers added micro drainage holes that let water flow downward but not upward, and keep the surface clear for droplet impacts.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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From breezing through paperwork to avoiding unnecessary airport delays, this tiny travel hero proves that sometimes the simplest tools are the most important.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
2 Nov. 2025
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But the movie only gives tiny little tastes of 1982 rock culture, and why Nebraska was so comically unsuitable for airplay.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Palantir’s revenue figures are still quite small compared to peers of similar market capitalization.—
Jessica Mathews,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
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Contractors working on the project recently completed pouring the foundation for what will provide smaller housing units meant to make quarantining detainees with communicable illnesses safer and easier.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Petite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petite. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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