as in diminutive
of a size that is less than average
a pygmy elephant
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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
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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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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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Spanning 828 square feet, the diminutive house stands a block and a half from Long Branch Beach.—
Katie Schultz,
Architectural Digest,
5 Nov. 2025
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Tyrannosaurus rex did, in fact, have a diminutive relative in North America.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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There is a dwarf version of this plant (Polygala fruticosa var.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
8 Nov. 2025
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Dwarf Conifers Just like Japanese maple, dwarf conifers such as dwarf Alberta spruce (shown here) come in a range of shapes, sizes, and colors.—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The movie, which posits an impending nuclear strike on a major American city, is a flimsy yet high-minded piece of doomsday schlock, largely populated by ciphers in suits and drained of the pulp pleasures that schlock, at its best, can afford.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
14 Oct. 2025
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Such ciphers are easy to crack using techniques such as checking letter frequency and identifying common patterns.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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At a time when the Mavericks need as much good will, or PR, as possible, filing a lawsuit against the Dallas Stars is petty, small and mean.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Nov. 2025
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The Senate vote to temporarily reopen the government sparked intense controversy within the Democratic Party, as a small group of its senators joined Republicans in backing a deal that did not guarantee the extension of Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits, a key Democratic priority.—
Deputy News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Lee Lee’s legendary mascot, Buddy Lee, is the focal point of the brand’s new collaboration with designer toy powerhouse Mighty Jaxx and artist Jason Freeny.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Nov. 2025
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This year, the National Toy Hall of Fame inducted board games Trivial Pursuit and Battleship—and one decidedly more modern toy, slime.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Professional athletes, however, aren’t nobodies.—
Joe Kozlowski,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
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More importantly, the narrative explores both sides of the conflict from the POV of grunts and 'nobodies' trying to navigate the post-Civil War state of the galaxy before the fighting stops.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Dick is sympathetic to Leroy’s perspective, noting that being Black in the military means having your personal life scrutinized, which is little comfort for Charlotte.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
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Sketches such as last night’s Oval Office monologue compact the coal of the administration’s info dumps into little diamonds of comedy, freeing the writers and cast to pursue more escapist fare.—
Erik Adams,
The Atlantic,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Declining bat populations could have real consequences for us, given the important role bats play in insect control, seed dispersal, and pollination.—
NPR,
NPR,
8 Nov. 2025
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Outdoor treatments are designed to reduce mosquitoes, ticks, and other biting insects that can make backyards difficult to enjoy.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pygmy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pygmy. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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