Synonyms of picayune

picayune 1 of 2

adjective

1

as in petty

not broad or open in views or opinions

the picayune ponderings of a commentator who steadfastly believes other cultures are inferior to our own

Synonyms & Similar Words

• petty
• small
• parochial
• narrow
• little
• insular
• provincial
• Lilliputian
• sectarian
• stubborn
• narrow-minded
• small-minded
• illiberal
• wrongheaded
• rigid
• partisan
• obstinate
• ironbound
• obdurate
• limited
• straitlaced
• reactionary
• hidebound
• bigoted
• discriminatory
• biased
• inflexible
• discriminating
• dogmatic
• partial
• opinionated
• unyielding
• stodgy
• jaundiced
• old-fashioned
• prejudiced
• opinionative
• intolerant
• unsophisticated
• stuffy
• one-sided
• set
• hick
• brassbound

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• liberal
• cosmopolitan
• receptive
• open
• catholic
• tolerant
• objective
• impartial
• unprejudiced
• unbiased
• nonpartisan
• broad-minded
• open-minded
• freethinking

2

as in nominal

so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention

irritatingly picayune complaints

Synonyms & Similar Words

• nominal
• slight
• petty
• trivial
• piddling
• tiny
• trifling
• insignificant
• niggling
• footling
• inconsequential
• inconsiderable
• negligible
• piffling
• piddly
• minute
• paltry
• pimping
• no-account
• measly
• Mickey Mouse
• chicken
• de minimis
• peanut
• little
• imperceptible
• puny
• inappreciable
• pettifogging
• mean
• inferior
• small-fry
• nitpicking
• quibbling
• hairsplitting
• one-horse
• two-bit

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• considerable
• important
• significant
• big
• serious
• substantial
• material
• consequential
• prominent
• outstanding
• remarkable
• noteworthy
• weighty
• conspicuous
• striking
• momentous
• appreciable
• pivotal
• measurable
• eventful
• discernible

picayune

2 of 2

noun

ˌpi-kē-ˈyün 

as in nothing

something of little importance

our lives don't amount to a picayune in the great scheme of things

Synonyms & Similar Words

• nothing
• triviality
• bagatelle
• trifle
• frippery
• small change
• small beer
• nonproblem
• shuck(s)
• zero
• naught
• pittance
• smoke
• nonsense
• child's play
• straw
• claptrap
• speck
• pinhead
• nothingness
• piffle
• two bits
• trivia
• peanuts
• bit
• smidgen
• hogwash
• bunk
• fudge
• scintilla
• tad
• humbuggery
• soupçon
• folly
• drivel
• ounce
• shred
• mite
• rot
• touch
• particle
• humbug
• song
• crumb
• trash
• fribble
• dab
• dram
• lick
• spot
• trace

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of picayune

Adjective

The two events share a history — one that illustrates just how the plate program has become picayune, politicized and potentially hazardous to public safety. — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2026

By itself, this habit might seem picayune. — Jeet Heer, Washington Post, 18 Nov. 2025

But only a fool would harp on picayune flaws when this rich material is being served with such musical polish and sensitivity. — Charles Isherwood, WSJ, 18 Aug. 2022

Challenging ballot designations has become something of a sport in California politics — squabbles over the occasionally picayune rules return each cycle like the swallows to Capistrano. — Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2022

At this point you may be exhausted by the exploration of picayune facts. — Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 28 July 2012

Noun

What might strike the casual observer as a picayune air conditioning problem weaves in, in the telling of it over coffee at The Buttered Tin restaurant, many unruly elements. — Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 5 Dec. 2025

His credulity led to misadventures the details of which are so picayune that Chernow’s emphasis on them can be maddening. — Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025

The show has always dwelled in the picayune at times, but these and so many other moments feel like attempts to find the fight, to gin something up. — Daniel D'addario, Variety, 13 July 2023

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