PETTY Synonyms: 117 Similar and Opposite Words

petty

adjective

ˈpe-tē

Definition of petty

as in small

not broad or open in views or opinions a petty little town that was not ethnically diverse and very happy about the situation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in nominal

so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention obsessed over even petty problems

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of petty But while Argentina was being petty and petulant, Spain was practically perfect in every way. — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026 Charges were later brought against Edward Betchley, a petty criminal, who attempted unsuccessfully to extract a ransom for the trophy. — Phil Hay, New York Times, 17 July 2026 Officials are reminding visitors about petty crime, strict ammunition laws, and other precautions ahead of a trip to the popular Caribbean destination. — Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 14 July 2026 Less social cohesion A decade ago, crime was infrequent and petty. — Joseph J. Gonzalez, The Conversation, 9 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for petty

Recent Examples of Synonyms for petty

Adjective

They were first popularized in Georgian England as small tokens of affection, infatuation or mourning, and examples are scattered across major museums such as the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

— Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
Potential monetary policy task force recommendations may involve less transparent communication, a smaller balance sheet with stability risks, and inflation metrics that produce a lower reading.

— David Zhang, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of small

Adjective

Several residents who spoke at the meetings characterized the opposition as a vocal minority of residents who have fixated on a few mostly parochial issues.

— John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 1 Aug. 2026
All but one, Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, were either parochial or had some religious affiliation.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 25 July 2026

Definition of parochial

Adjective

The righty, working with a slight pitch count after a complete game last week, followed two strikeouts in the first inning with five more in his outing.

— Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
Morgan walked into the opening match for SummerSlam Saturday as a slight favorite per Betonline.

— Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of slight

Adjective

The narrow waterway passing between Iran and Oman serves as the main route for shipping crude from oil-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait to the rest of the world.

— Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
The fighting has severely disrupted shipping through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, a narrow maritime choke point that typically handles around a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas.

— Sam Meredith, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of narrow

Adjective

Ireland’s Strategy For Quantum Technologies Building and sustaining a new industry is never a trivial undertaking.

— Dr. Jonathan Reichental, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
Justice John Dixon said Bauer Media had failed to show the claims made about Wilson were substantially true or trivial.

— Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 22 July 2026

Definition of trivial

Adjective

The county purchased a brand new playground in 2022, but that did little to draw in visitors, or at least not the kind the Park and Recreation Department was hoping for.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 1 Aug. 2026
Society has had very little time to develop stable rules around it.

— Gerui Wang, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of little

Adjective

In less trifling hands, there’s no telling what these tools could do, are doing now.

— CHRIS COLIN, Wired News, 18 May 2026
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