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
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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
The Gilded Age chronicles the deliciously petty in-fighting between ascendant and established members of New York City's upper class in the late 19th century.
—
Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 3 June 2025
Your petty exploits paid off—modestly but steadily.
—Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
The world of the church was thoroughly intertwined with the world of elite Florentine society and, as a result, entangled in their petty power struggles as well.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 29 May 2025
That included petty acts like cutting off the direct line to the G+W switchboard that Bluhdorn’s widow Yvette had forever.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for petty
Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 3 June 2025
Your petty exploits paid off—modestly but steadily.
—Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
The world of the church was thoroughly intertwined with the world of elite Florentine society and, as a result, entangled in their petty power struggles as well.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 29 May 2025
That included petty acts like cutting off the direct line to the G+W switchboard that Bluhdorn’s widow Yvette had forever.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for petty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for petty
Adjective
-
The veteran would be a small upgrade in the outfield for the Padres.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 July 2025
-
Deerhoof is a small mom and pop operation, and know when enough is enough.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
30 June 2025
Adjective
-
Presumably, the series can conclude when our nominal adults finally do get grown.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
25 June 2025
-
Treats and train rides are available for a nominal fee.—
Pomerado News,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 June 2025
Adjective
-
In his quest for a definitive biography of Joyce as a cosmopolitan artist, above the parochial fray, Ellmann downplayed Joyce’s interest in politics.—
Eric Bulson,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2025
-
Rather, Colbert won after knocking, by his count, on 20,000 doors, wearing out several pairs of size 15 shoes and putting parochial concerns, such as wildfire prevention, disaster preparedness and flood control, at the center of his campaign.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
Monday saw some dips and slight drops, but the market rebounded and closed up almost 1%.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
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This was a shift from May, when Democrats had a slight advantage—48 percent planned to support Democrats, while 45 percent leaned toward Republicans, according to the pollster.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
Adjective
-
In more challenging games, however, the side often flatters to deceive and occasionally slips up, as a narrow 2-1 victory over Boca Juniors and 0-1 loss to Benfica showed.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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Nothing dramatizes the human comedy with more precision than the sound of a happily narrow mind retorting to the wider environment.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
Adjective
-
Ideally, the load balancer should be a lightweight WAF itself to block trivial attacks early.—
Alexander Krizhanovsky,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
-
But Philadelphia needs a big upgrade, not a trivial one.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
Each day, heat impacts will last well into the night thanks to very warm overnight low temperatures offering very little in the way of relief.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
23 June 2025
-
Taylor, meanwhile, became a meme at the end of last year as fans couldn’t get enough of her performance as Young Nessarose, Elphaba’s little sister, in Wicked.—
Stephen Daw,
Billboard,
23 June 2025
Adjective
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Frankly, the more trifling the crime, the better this franchise’s comedy aspirations would work.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Apr. 2025
-
With that much water needed for even the most trifling tasks, the natural question becomes: How does that water reach those data centers, let alone the world’s farms and factories?—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
28 May 2010
Cite this Entry
“Petty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petty. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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