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 cipher
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pygmy
Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 26 Jan. 2026
The zoo is home to more than 200 animals, including lemurs, llamas, kangaroos, and pygmy goats.
—Erin Gifford, Southern Living, 19 Jan. 2026
Other rattlesnakes found as far north as Denton County include the timber rattlesnake, pygmy rattlesnake and massasauga rattlesnake, Pandelis said.
—Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 14 Jan. 2026
Trek through the Danum Valley rainforest, cruise the Kinabatangan River, and spot orangutans and pygmy elephants.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pygmy
Noun
The pygmy slow loris is a small primate that is originally found in Southeast Asia, the WCS said.
—Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 26 Jan. 2026
The zoo is home to more than 200 animals, including lemurs, llamas, kangaroos, and pygmy goats.
—Erin Gifford, Southern Living, 19 Jan. 2026
Other rattlesnakes found as far north as Denton County include the timber rattlesnake, pygmy rattlesnake and massasauga rattlesnake, Pandelis said.
—Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 14 Jan. 2026
Trek through the Danum Valley rainforest, cruise the Kinabatangan River, and spot orangutans and pygmy elephants.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pygmy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pygmy
Adjective
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Chinese-speaking netizens were amused by the story, and in particular the absurd display of cops escorting the diminutive android.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
12 Mar. 2026
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Despite its diminutive size, there are some big (quite literally) reasons to visit Terlingua.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Beyond rock and ice The finding of L 98-59 d challenges the long-standing astronomical belief that small exoplanets must be either gas dwarfs or water worlds covered in ice and oceans.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Mar. 2026
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In a gas-dwarf scenario, planets are believed to form rock cores that accrete a small percentage of hydrogen-helium during the formation process.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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As zonky cross-generational ciphers go, the group’s debut, Strictly 4 the Scythe, is no Hypnotize Camp Posse, the amalgam of Three 6 Mafia and a grip of artists signed to their Hypnotize Minds label in the early 2000s.—
Dylan Green,
Pitchfork,
12 Mar. 2026
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The still-unidentified Zodiac Killer, who terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1960s, frequently sent threats, demands and ciphers to multiple local papers — namely the San Francisco Chronicle.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Modern warfare has shown that traditional radar systems often struggle to identify and monitor many small drones flying together.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Mar. 2026
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Adjust a subscription or renegotiate a small fee, then record the change, because tracking progress reinforces confidence and protects your careful planning.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The soft, squeezable texture of this toy is designed to alleviate stress and provide endless fun.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
16 Mar. 2026
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Ted was greeted with his own water bowl, blanket, cookies, and a toy in our room, and every staff member greeted him with pets during our stay.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Seattle’s John Schneider and New England’s Eliot Wolf rose up from young nobodies to graduate from Green Bay Packers University, too.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
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Many of Newsom’s critics who breathlessly report on his evil plans (that the left-wing mainstream media supposedly cover up) are just nobodies who feign authority and are obviously fronting for right-wing organizations.—
Dan Walters,
Oc Register,
16 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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The Boston bats made little noise all night in North Port.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
15 Mar. 2026
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But even this caricature is more than what’s afforded to Zoe (Iris Apatow) and her Deaf sister Chloe (Millicent Simmonds), whose collective function is the former interpreting for the latter in American Sign Language, but little else.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Terrestrial crustaceans are slow-moving compared to insects.—
Andrew Coletti,
Popular Science,
12 Mar. 2026
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One of her favorite specimens was the rain beetle, a fuzzy scarab-like insect that can't feed as an adult, relying solely on fat stores from its larval stages.—
Christine Mai-Duc,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pygmy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pygmy. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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