as in slight
old-fashioned
worrying too much about details that are minor or not important
pettifogging lawyers
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pettifogging
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, walnuts lend a slight crunch throughout.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
11 Apr. 2026 -
Cloud cover is forecasted to stick around all day, and temperatures are likely to top out in the low 80s this afternoon with a slight breeze from the south.—
Lauren Bostwick,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
There are some pretty gross, petty and violent acts of revenge.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
-
What is the pettiest thing that annoys you during a race weekend?—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Whether still or striding, tiny or outsized, Giacometti’s elongated, upright figures persist as some of the most recognizable works of the post-World War Two era.—
Ara H. Merjian,
ARTnews.com,
16 Apr. 2026
-
More than a toy, this plush companion acts as a surrogate mom after the tiny primate was rejected by his own mother, Kamaria, a first-time parent unable to form a maternal bond.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Compared with their tourbillons and minute repeaters, a seconds-counting hand is peasant fare.—
Adam Erace,
Fortune,
4 Apr. 2026
-
An emotionally secure person doesn't rush to defend themselves or send a follow-up email walking through their reasoning in minute detail.—
Jessica Weiss,
CNBC,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, that global temperature record that DiCaprio mentioned in his acceptance speech in 2016 seems almost trifling compared to what has happened since.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
-
The health factor is no trifling qualifier for a player who has missed time with shoulder and oblique injuries, in addition to that unfortunate incident with his pelvic floor.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Jones noted those were not trivial sums for working families of the era.—
Anna Alejo,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The novel swings between the trivial and the dire, and in her bleakest moments Adora leans on the Stoics for guidance, thinking, C’mon, boys, don’t fail me now!—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Previous attempts to secure ceasefires have had little or no impact, with the two sides blaming each other for violations.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Start by trimming the tough, dry ends off the bunch and chop them into little logs.—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Then, the pandemic reduced the schedule to 60 games and Eddie got a piddling 37%.—
Star Tribune,
Star Tribune,
3 Dec. 2020
-
Millions of additional claims are expected to stream in from around the country over the coming weeks, while hiring remains piddling.—
Patricia Cohen,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2020
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Pettifogging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pettifogging. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
