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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of petty
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
The lives of these accomplished, seemingly independent women revolve around men, petty antics and low-stakes squabbles.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 29 May 2025
But the most powerful response isn’t rage or petty retaliation.
—Suneeta Motala, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for petty
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
The lives of these accomplished, seemingly independent women revolve around men, petty antics and low-stakes squabbles.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 29 May 2025
But the most powerful response isn’t rage or petty retaliation.
—Suneeta Motala, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for petty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for petty
Adjective
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Farmers watered their crops less, and saw smaller harvests as a result.—
Annika Merrilees,
Sacbee.com,
7 June 2025
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Yes, Georgia and Paul split this season as the blowback from the trial — and Paul's support of Proposition 38, disastrous for small businesses — imperiled his mayoral career.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
7 June 2025
Adjective
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While that may seem nominal, its underlying business is more profitable.—
Ryan Baker,
CNBC,
14 June 2025
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Ethiopia is projected to lose the most aid in nominal terms, with Jordan, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo also hit particularly hard.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
12 June 2025
Adjective
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Yet somehow, all these factors, seemingly easily translatable across the world’s cuisines, has led to an intensely parochial guide.—
Tulasi Srinivas,
The Conversation,
3 June 2025
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This is a parochial political world, overshadowed by the federal bureaucracy.—
Cuneyt Dil,
Axios,
25 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Bure may not have meant it as a slight, but one of the more notable offenders was Growing Pains, which costarred her brother, Kirk Cameron.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
13 June 2025
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In a slight twist on the usual, the chefs not only get to choose their own sous-chefs, but only those sous-chefs have been flown to Italy for the occasion.—
Caroline Framke,
Vulture,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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For decades, international philanthropy has framed Africa through a narrow lens: a continent in need, a landscape of poverty, disaster and helplessness.—
Victoria Philips,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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The Denver Nuggets trailed by 11 with about four minutes left to start the Western Conference semis but stormed back at Paycom Center for a narrow win — the Thunder won that series in seven games.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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Matter These are not trivial or speculative technologies.—
Virginie Berger,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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If the buyer is complaining about cosmetic or trivial things, like the dark blue wall in the main bathroom or the leaky kitchen faucet, think twice about acquiescing.—
Lew Sichelman,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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Until recently, there was little doctors could do to address the lack of sperm needed to fertilize an egg, other than using donor sperm.—
Alice Park,
Time,
10 June 2025
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An award-winning toy creator and a doctor have teamed up to launch a new company that manufactures products designed to make health care less scary for little kids, and less stressful for parents.—
Joan Verdon,
Forbes.com,
10 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
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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 18 Jun. 2025.
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