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
From the creators of The Hills, Selling Sunset provides viewers with romance, petty drama, luxurious homes, and a game of trying to remember which Oppenheim twin is which.
—
Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Feb. 2026
This is more than just petty high-school behaviour to be brushed off.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2026
In interviews and presentations to the city council, Xiong, who is Hmong, has spoken openly about his experiences as a teen drug dealer, gang member and petty criminal and his subsequent incarceration, which ended a decade ago.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 29 Jan. 2026
Many kids from the South Bronx, including Troy and even Carl himself, had committed their share of petty crimes.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for petty
Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Feb. 2026
This is more than just petty high-school behaviour to be brushed off.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2026
In interviews and presentations to the city council, Xiong, who is Hmong, has spoken openly about his experiences as a teen drug dealer, gang member and petty criminal and his subsequent incarceration, which ended a decade ago.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 29 Jan. 2026
Many kids from the South Bronx, including Troy and even Carl himself, had committed their share of petty crimes.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for petty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for petty
Adjective
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But the proposal would only actually impact a small few — billionaires.—
Paris Barraza,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
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The first call for help was a silent text message from an emergency beacon, mobilizing a small army of rescuers dispatched from different directions.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Seven has been the nominal crew size on the ISS since 2020.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
14 Feb. 2026
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This year, though, both LaHood and Bost are running unopposed in the March 17 GOP primary and Miller’s facing only nominal opposition.—
Daniel C. Vock,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Could the trajectory of a presidency and a major political party, and perhaps modern American history itself, really trace back to a parochial dispute at a Palm Beach club at the start of this century?—
Tara Palmeri,
Vanity Fair,
12 Feb. 2026
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The maximalism and somewhat uncompromising presumption of a newspaper, with its warren of sections and columns and byways, is a quiet reproach to its audience’s most parochial instincts.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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For the latter, a 2023 meta-analysis found that even a slight bump in the average monthly temperature can lead to increases in suicide and suicidal behavior.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
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Washington has made a slight improvement on defense, especially as a rim protector, but there’s more room for Washington to regain his footing during the final quarter of the season.—
Mike Curtis,
Dallas Morning News,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The goal was for the GOP to hold onto a narrow House majority in the face of political headwinds that typically favor the party out of power in midterms.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Feb. 2026
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The narrow waterway, just 21 miles wide, serves as a pinch point for 20 million barrels of crude every day, about one-fifth of global production.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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And what may be trivial to you may be important enough to Mamdani to not be changed.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
10 Feb. 2026
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Join us in guessing the outcome of mostly trivial questions about Super Bowl LX.—
Brandon Funston,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The little sluiceways through the shoals were only a few inches deep, so the coontail moss was also that much closer to the surface.—
Bryan Hendricks,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
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That polarization leaves little margin for prosecutorial missteps.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
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Talk of mounting nuclear readiness towards Russia, which has more atomic weapons than any other country in the world, could overshadow more trifling domestic matters, like the Epstein scandal, for instance.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
2 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Petty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petty. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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