pygmy 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of pygmynext
as in diminutive
of a size that is less than average a pygmy elephant

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

pygmy

2 of 2

noun

ˈpig-mē How to pronounce pygmy (audio)
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pygmy
Noun
Georgia residents should be most cautious of the pygmy rattlesnake, while Oklahoma's biggest snake threat is the western pygmy rattlesnake. — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026 There is a rotation of animals also on display in the Livestock area on the opposite end of the fairgrounds, with llamas, pygmy goats, miniature donkeys, Friesian horses and more visiting as various competitions and exhibits are held. — Heather McRea, Oc Register, 25 July 2026 The second is about pygmy seahorses, which are the size of your fingernail and live in coral. — Michael James Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 July 2026 However, hunting pygmy elephants may simply not have been worth the effort, even for a species that was otherwise capable of doing it. — ArsTechnica, 9 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for pygmy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pygmy
  1. diminutive
  2. dwarf
  3. cipher
  4. small
  5. toy
  6. nobody
  7. little
  8. insect
Adjective
  • The evening, co-hosted by Vanity Fair, marked a continuation in the film’s already lengthy journey, with a suitably ambitious exhibition pulling back the curtain on costumes, puppets, props and diminutive sets.
    — Bridget Arsenault, Vanity Fair, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The Lucre mules are crafted in butter-soft kid suede in a dark midnight shade and have the most diminutive toe strap holding the shoe in place.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of diminutive
Noun
  • While most citrus trees are too large for indoor growing, there are a few small or dwarf varieties of citrus that can be kept indoors year-round in pots.
    — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 16 Oct. 2026
  • These explosions, known as hypernovas, were first proposed to explain unusual stars in the halo of our galaxy, the Milky Way, and in a neighboring dwarf galaxy.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of dwarf
Noun
  • There’s that vibrancy and, on the other side of the ledger, dead boys, ciphers, unfinished or unfinishable quests.
    — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • But in my view, our relationships to animals, whose lives are untouched by the existential woes and artifices of personhood, are the richest and most evident ciphers for our own often inscrutable psyches.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 June 2026
Definition of cipher
Adjective
  • Comparing households aged 72 and older in 2022 with those aged 75 and older in 2025, Maggiulli calculated a smaller—but still substantial—21% increase.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The development could help make optical atomic clocks smaller and more suitable for use outside laboratories.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of small
Noun
  • In March, Mattel dolled up Williams in honor of International Women’s Day, putting the toy in a smart hounds tooth pantsuit and pearls to highlight her entrepreneurial side.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2026
  • What’s the one toy or book your kid doesn’t ignore after five minutes?
    — Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of toy
Noun
  • In the trailer, the civilians are selling themselves as a new breed of nobodies.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Despite the tragicomic instability and the rotating cast of nobodies temporarily tasked with running the country, when seen in macroeconomic terms, Peru appears to be doing just fine, thank you.
    — Daniel Alarcón, New Yorker, 4 June 2026
Definition of nobody
Adjective
  • Depending on the machine and settings, that material ends up in a purge tower built alongside the print, or in a collection of little plastic doll's-house-looking spaghetti balls, affectionately known as printer poop.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
  • That gives One Roof a significant advantage over competing Seattle bidders and little incentive to offer anything close to $10 billion.
    — Matt Calkins OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of little
Noun
  • Unlike Gregor Samsa who is confined to his room after transforming into a huge insect, the protagonist still has to go to work, a dark and bleak absurdity that lays bare the alienation, isolation, and hypocrisy of modern life.
    — Deadline, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
  • At the hospital, an insect fell from the girl’s shoe, and a staffer saw a cockroach crawling on her, the district attorney’s office said.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of insect

Browse Nearby Words

pygmies
pygmy
pyramid
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Cite this Entry

“Pygmy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pygmy. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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