1
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
2
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
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Recent Examples of petty
Your husband’s petty desire to be right about everything is understandably annoying and somewhat typical behavior.
—
Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026
Avoid petty ego battles about money and possessions.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026
Over Your Dead Body knows that sustaining a harmonious union amid petty jealousies, paranoia, and personal flaws is hard; navigating a hostage situation involving desperate sickos and sociopaths is even harder; and maintaining a balance of laughs and gag-reflex tweaking is the hardest of it all.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2026
Such an attempt to normalize petty crime makes Vicky Osterweil’s 2020 manifesto, In Defense of Looting, look high-minded.
—Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for petty
Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026
Avoid petty ego battles about money and possessions.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026
Over Your Dead Body knows that sustaining a harmonious union amid petty jealousies, paranoia, and personal flaws is hard; navigating a hostage situation involving desperate sickos and sociopaths is even harder; and maintaining a balance of laughs and gag-reflex tweaking is the hardest of it all.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2026
Such an attempt to normalize petty crime makes Vicky Osterweil’s 2020 manifesto, In Defense of Looting, look high-minded.
—Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for petty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for petty
Adjective
-
August 23 – September 22 One small fix today could make everything run better.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
If a more involved DIY installation sounds prohibitive, Starlink does contract with installers nationwide for a nominal fee.—
Brian Westover,
PC Magazine,
30 Apr. 2026
-
And, in the end, none of the aforementioned might be available except for Ja Morant, who might be only a nominal upgrade, if that.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Research shows the disparity between vaccination coverage in private and parochial/religious versus public schools is that private and parochial/religious schools tend to have higher rates of exemptions to vaccinations for moral and religious beliefs.—
Kar-Hai Chu,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2026
-
But quietly, the third-year forward had put himself in position for a more parochial reserve reward, one that caught him unaware.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
After the unremarkable Chip Kelly recruiting era, which begat a slight bump under DeShaun Foster, what first-year coach Bob Chesney has done, before coaching a game, has been downright remarkable.—
Jon Wilner,
Mercury News,
9 May 2026
-
The video shows slight puffs of smoke from the Sea Star’s smokestack, and then darker smoke rising from it after the strike.—
Mitchell McCluskey,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
Rebecca Green, a law professor and director of the Election Law Program at William & Mary Law School in Virginia, said the court there rejected the redistricting plan based on narrow grounds pertaining to Virginia law on amending the state Constitution, which doesn’t apply in California.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
-
Their job is to create a fire line, clearing a narrow strip of land down to soil and removing flammable vegetation to help slow or stop the fire's spread.—
Kenny Choi,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
No competition was too trivial.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The third day of the NFL Draft can feel a bit trivial.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The hearts and minds of Braves players were on Bobby Cox on a sunny evening at Dodger Stadium before the middle game of a three-game series against the Dodgers — a game that meant very little, considering the news of the day.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
10 May 2026
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The peas themselves are piled like cabochons over a thin pastry shell, dressed in a tart citrus vinaigrette and studded with slivers of pickled shallots that deliver bracing little sparks of brine against the crisp sweetness of the legumes.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
10 May 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
Cite this Entry
“Petty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petty. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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