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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nominal
so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention
irritatingly picayune complaints
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in nothing
something of little importance
our lives don't amount to a picayune in the great scheme of things
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Recent Examples of picayune
Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 28 July 2012
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
What would normally be regarded as an investigation that has reached the level of pursuing such picayune matters that it should be concluded, may to him or her be an investigation that ought to go on for another year.
—Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 13 Mar. 2022
There are at least two explanations: One is that the violations are so picayune as to expose a petty scheme to dump the executive.
—Washington Post, 19 Feb. 2022
This was the Britain—still very imperial yet so very picayune—to which Mr. Sen, who would go on to win the Nobel Prize in economics, had come to study.
—Tunku Varadarajan, WSJ, 21 Jan. 2022
Vance’s investigation, which appears to be focussed largely on business practices that Trump engaged in before taking office, may seem picayune in comparison with the outrageous offenses to democratic norms that Trump committed as President.
—Jane Mayer, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2021
But after months of family quarantine, combined with the confusion and exasperation of school-Zoom days, more of our wind-down reading sessions have involved the sureness of facts — picayune details about dogs and skyscrapers and coral reefs.
—Mark Athitakis, Washington Post, 24 Nov. 2020
Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025
Observers believe a flood of intervention into D.C. laws — from the sweeping to the picayune — is more likely than a total revocation of home rule (though there is a longshot bill for that, too).
—Cuneyt Dil, Axios, 18 July 2024
Light-bodied and easy to drink, it’s got all the hallmarks of a classic grain whisky, but with a flavor profile that’s big and layered enough to satisfy the most picayune of single-malt snobs.
—Tony Sachs, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
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
Adjective
At this point you may be exhausted by the exploration of picayune facts.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 28 July 2012
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
What would normally be regarded as an investigation that has reached the level of pursuing such picayune matters that it should be concluded, may to him or her be an investigation that ought to go on for another year.
—Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 13 Mar. 2022
There are at least two explanations: One is that the violations are so picayune as to expose a petty scheme to dump the executive.
—Washington Post, 19 Feb. 2022
This was the Britain—still very imperial yet so very picayune—to which Mr. Sen, who would go on to win the Nobel Prize in economics, had come to study.
—Tunku Varadarajan, WSJ, 21 Jan. 2022
Vance’s investigation, which appears to be focussed largely on business practices that Trump engaged in before taking office, may seem picayune in comparison with the outrageous offenses to democratic norms that Trump committed as President.
—Jane Mayer, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2021
But after months of family quarantine, combined with the confusion and exasperation of school-Zoom days, more of our wind-down reading sessions have involved the sureness of facts — picayune details about dogs and skyscrapers and coral reefs.
—Mark Athitakis, Washington Post, 24 Nov. 2020
Noun
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
Observers believe a flood of intervention into D.C. laws — from the sweeping to the picayune — is more likely than a total revocation of home rule (though there is a longshot bill for that, too).
—Cuneyt Dil, Axios, 18 July 2024
Light-bodied and easy to drink, it’s got all the hallmarks of a classic grain whisky, but with a flavor profile that’s big and layered enough to satisfy the most picayune of single-malt snobs.
—Tony Sachs, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for picayune
Adjective
-
While Lian was staring in the mirror practicing her hows and lows and preparing for her future, Wenyu was sneaking out of prep class more and more frequently to pull petty pranks with her new boyfriend.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 July 2025
-
Seventy-five years later, some of the Tribune’s criticisms seem petty.—
Ron Grossman,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2025
Adjective
-
Treats and train rides are available for a nominal fee.—
Pomerado News,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 June 2025
-
Presumably, the series can conclude when our nominal adults finally do get grown.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
25 June 2025
Noun
-
My memoir was built of gaps, juxtaposition, weird little nothings.—
Cheri Lucas Rowlands,
Longreads,
16 Dec. 2024
-
The one whose legs turned nothings into somethings, improvising the Lions’ entire defensive game plan into a pile of ash?—
Sean Keeler,
The Denver Post,
10 Feb. 2024
Adjective
-
The veteran would be a small upgrade in the outfield for the Padres.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 July 2025
-
When the team stumbles across a small Titanosaurus herd, the film privileges Henry’s reaction as the paleontologist witnesses an elegant mating ritual for the first time.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
30 June 2025
Adjective
-
And when detecting the artist approaching flow, the device would emit a subtle cue — a slight change in the sound of their instrument or the lighting — to give the brain a subconscious boost and thereby accelerate and enhance one’s immersion into flow.—
Brandon Sneed,
Rolling Stone,
6 July 2025
-
Similarly, Morning Consult's June 27 to 29 poll found 47 percent of respondents approved of Trump's job performance, with 50 percent disapproving—a slight improvement from May's 45 percent approval and 53 percent disapproval.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 July 2025
Noun
-
His reinstatement of Rose and Jackson is no exception: History has become an irrelevant triviality — ignored or, even better, forgotten.—
Cory Franklin,
Twin Cities,
1 June 2025
-
Yesterday’s pangrams were triviality, trivially and virality.—
Alex Travelli,
New York Times,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Brian Colbert ran on a parochial platform focused on garden-variety local issues.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2025
-
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
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
Cite this Entry
“Picayune.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/picayune. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
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