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
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
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
At this point you may be exhausted by the exploration of picayune facts.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 28 July 2012
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
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
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
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
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
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
-
Hole, Oleg and Martin Aminov (Simon J Berger), a petty gun smuggler mistakenly accused of being the serial killer, wind up in a stationary elevator stuck between two floors with an armed Waaler reaching in to grab Oleg’s hair.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The show will focus on the disappearance of petty criminal El Nani (aka Santiago Correla).—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Because a present that is over $100, Miss Manner assures you, is indeed meant for a wedding and not a shower, whose gifts are supposed to be more nominal.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
In an alternative scenario, the cap would stay fixed in nominal dollar terms, in our examples at $100,000 or $70,000 sans bumps for the CPI, for 20 or 30 years, and after those intervals grow in tandem with wages.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
When Dana, who, like Virginia, had been successful in writing pleasant but undistinguished nothings—in her case, songs for Billy Rose’s revues—decided to try taking on more serious music by studying with Boulanger, Virginia entered a deep downward spiral.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Why did her mom press so hard for the littlest of nothings?—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
4 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Some of the district's smallest elementary schools now serve only a couple of hundred students, limiting available resources.—
Da Lin,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Higher bond yields ripple through all kinds of credit markets, making everything from mortgages to small-business loans more expensive.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Most predictor sites and betting services show Knueppel with a slight lead, but with Flagg fast surging since his March 5 return from a left midfoot sprain.—
Brad Townsend,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The key is to consciously combine the shades of green, either within a color family for a calm, elevated look or with slight contrasts to create tension.—
Jana Ackermann,
Glamour,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
All the more reason for those under this sign to embrace the softness and triviality of floral prints right before spring arrives.—
Katherine J Igoe,
InStyle,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Any piece of art begins in triviality.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But quietly, the third-year forward had put himself in position for a more parochial reserve reward, one that caught him unaware.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The school, a private parochial campus overseen by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Des Moines, had 390 students in kindergarten through eighth grade in 2025, according to its website.—
Nick El Hajj,
Des Moines Register,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But finding spare money is not a trivial task.—
Nara Parameswaran,
The Conversation,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Maintaining that orchestration; keeping updates stable and synchronized; is not trivial.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Picayune.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/picayune. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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