as in diminutive
of a size that is less than average
a pygmy elephant
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Cam'ron Hardy, Chicago Tribune, 15 July 2025
The park will also offer a pygmy hippo meet and greet experience during its open season, which is March through November.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 12 July 2025
The pygmy hippo who became a viral internet sensation turned 1 on Thursday.
—Jade Walker, CNN Money, 11 July 2025
Fortunately for her fans, Moo Deng will likely have a many more birthdays, since pygmy hippos can live up to 50 years.
—Janis MacKey Frayer, NBC news, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for pygmy
Noun
The floor of the trail is imprinted with the footprints of the pygmy hippo and the duiker, a type of antelope.
—Cam'ron Hardy, Chicago Tribune, 15 July 2025
The park will also offer a pygmy hippo meet and greet experience during its open season, which is March through November.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 12 July 2025
The pygmy hippo who became a viral internet sensation turned 1 on Thursday.
—Jade Walker, CNN Money, 11 July 2025
Fortunately for her fans, Moo Deng will likely have a many more birthdays, since pygmy hippos can live up to 50 years.
—Janis MacKey Frayer, NBC news, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for pygmy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pygmy
Adjective
-
Rather, when Labor Day Weekend ended, the man leading the league in that category was Corbin Carroll, the diminutive (by baseball standards) right fielder playing for the underwhelming Arizona Diamondbacks.—
Dan Freedman,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
However, the diminutive blue Smurfs took over as Smurfs’ Enchanted Voyage in 1984.—
Kaycee Sloan,
The Enquirer,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The shrub grows 6 to 15 feet tall; there are dwarf, medium-sized, and tall varieties.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
24 Aug. 2025
-
The dwarf galaxies of other galaxies, such as Centaurus A — the product of a major merger between two large galaxies — also orbit in a plane.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Given the number of works Apple may have infringed upon, the plaintiffs, Hendrix and Roberson, have requested the court to turn their complaint into a class action and block the company from further infringement of this kind.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Two pass interference flags skewed those numbers — their nine penalties were not a record under Sirianni, although their six defensive penalties tied for the most — but it was not lost on Sirianni that all Cowboys scoring drives included an Eagles penalty.—
Zach Berman,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Aalo expects to complete construction and reach criticality by July 4, 2026, a timeline the company says demonstrates the speed at which small, modular nuclear reactors can be deployed.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Snap up travel essentials, comfy pajamas, small kitchen must-haves, and more gems.—
Isabel Garcia,
People.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The Supreme Court in June declined the toy companies’ request to take up the issue before a lower appeals court ruled on the case.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Kindergarteners through fifth graders will be taught to identify differences between toy guns, air guns, BB guns and real firearms.—
Vivian Jones,
Nashville Tennessean,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
These plants are adapted to the specific soils, climate and other local conditions of their region and support the local food web, providing habitat for native wildlife, pollinators and insects.—
Chris McKeown,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Sep. 2025
-
The disease spreads through triatomine insect bites, per UCLA Health.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Seattle did very little to silence those critics in Week 1.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
He was joined by little bro Jason, who's younger than him by 13 months.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
Kind of a little twerp, now and again.—
Ashley Fetters Maloy,
Washington Post,
7 Nov. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Pygmy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pygmy. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share