as in diminutive
of a size that is less than average
a pygmy elephant
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also pigmy
1
as in dwarf
something (such as an animal) much smaller than others of its kind
hummingbirds may be the pygmies of the avian world, but what they lack in size they make up for in beauty
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in number
a person of no importance or influence
regrettably, most of the candidates for the party's nomination that year were political pygmies
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pygmy
Eric Noll, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2025
Travelers start in Borneo’s rainforests, looking for orangutans, proboscis monkeys and pygmy elephants.
—Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Here, guests will find a pizza pod, spa, a family of pygmy goats, and several beehives from which more than 400 pounds of honey are harvested each year.
—Asia London Palomba, Travel + Leisure, 10 Aug. 2025
But in some good news, the Tanganyika Wildlife Park in Kansas welcomed a new male baby pygmy hippo on June 26.
—Kirsty Hatcher, People.com, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for pygmy
Noun
The star of the show was Mars, a 6-week-old pygmy hippo, one of only 3,000 remaining in the wild.
—Eric Noll, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2025
Travelers start in Borneo’s rainforests, looking for orangutans, proboscis monkeys and pygmy elephants.
—Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Here, guests will find a pizza pod, spa, a family of pygmy goats, and several beehives from which more than 400 pounds of honey are harvested each year.
—Asia London Palomba, Travel + Leisure, 10 Aug. 2025
But in some good news, the Tanganyika Wildlife Park in Kansas welcomed a new male baby pygmy hippo on June 26.
—Kirsty Hatcher, People.com, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for pygmy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pygmy
Adjective
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Skeet is a diminutive figure with short, gray hair, and a round face with prominent cheeks.—
Mitch Moxley,
Rolling Stone,
27 Sep. 2025
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Thankfully, most garages will accommodate both, as these are diminutive vehicles when compared to any American iron of the era.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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And all these dwarves and elves and humans go, ‘What?—
Elisabeth Garber-Paul,
Rolling Stone,
2 Oct. 2025
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These two dwarf galaxies orbit the Milky Way at distances of 163,000 and 200,000 light-years, respectively, moving through our galaxy's outer halo of hot gas not too dissimilar, but on a much smaller scale, from the Virgo Cluster's halo of hot gas.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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That information from customers was leaked in a full database, including customer’s names, mobile numbers, email addresses, license plate numbers, vehicle nicknames, and more.—
James Peckham,
PC Magazine,
6 Oct. 2025
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Respecting the numbers Sometimes, managers go with their gut.—
Ryan Ford,
Freep.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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By a rough count, Flagg played in approximately six different lineups, including some small-ball looks with Dwight Powell at center.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Oct. 2025
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While there is acknowledgement that smaller teams, such as Norway’s Valarenga, could be on the receiving end of heavy defeats with the shift in format, the benefits of seeing top seeds clash early in the competition mean more overall interest.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Best Push Toy Some bunny will surely love to play with this simple, yet stylish push toy.—
Pamela Brill,
Parents,
2 Oct. 2025
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Original price: $15.99 This scented toy for puppies up to 50 pounds features a hook-and-loop wrap, a squeak and a crinkle sound.—
Nora Colomer
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The beneficial insects, like butterflies, moths, fireflies, and native bees, that pollinate your garden throughout the growing season require leaf litter to survive.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
4 Oct. 2025
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Small flying insects observed near dining room soda machine.—
Gege Reed,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Shane Hubbard, a UW-Madison research scientist specializing in damage and loss estimation from disasters, said that misunderstandings of what type of insurance offers the most protection result in homeowners being left with hefty bills and little government assistance.—
Tamia Fowlkes,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
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The clues have been there from the start, the little touches that aligned Grasso’s bifurcated personality with Tom and Robbie’s.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Taking on classic buddy-comedy attributes, Sam is the together one with a programmatic path toward life as a wealthy but hollow finance twerp, while Ari is the brash, cracked, less-medicated-than-he-should-be bull in a china shop.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
8 Sep. 2025
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Most of the movie is a vaguely comical swipe at Napoleon in domestic life—an awkward lover, a jealous husband, an inveterate complainer, and in sum an annoying twerp.—
Kyle Smith,
WSJ,
21 Nov. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Pygmy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pygmy. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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