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 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
Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2026
An intruder who broke into the enclosure of the beloved Thai pygmy hippo Moo Deng has been arrested, officials say.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
Like pygmy hippo Moo Deng or fluffy penguin Pesto, Punch is a baby animal who has captured social media’s attention (even DeuxMoi) thanks to his adorable looks and specific personality.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 23 Feb. 2026
The baby pygmy hippo was born at the end of January at the Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park in Litchfield Park to mom Lollipop and dad Tootsie Roll, according to a statement from the west Valley attraction, located at Northern and Sarival avenues.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pygmy
Noun
Fossils have also been found that indicate the islands were also once home to pygmy mammoths, which only reached 4 to 6 feet tall.
—Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2026
An intruder who broke into the enclosure of the beloved Thai pygmy hippo Moo Deng has been arrested, officials say.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
Like pygmy hippo Moo Deng or fluffy penguin Pesto, Punch is a baby animal who has captured social media’s attention (even DeuxMoi) thanks to his adorable looks and specific personality.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 23 Feb. 2026
The baby pygmy hippo was born at the end of January at the Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park in Litchfield Park to mom Lollipop and dad Tootsie Roll, according to a statement from the west Valley attraction, located at Northern and Sarival avenues.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pygmy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pygmy
Adjective
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Despite its unnerving intimacy, which suggests either erotic pursuit or familiar proximity, the diminutive print calls to mind the photos of Saul Leiter, a figure surprisingly unmentioned in Ghirri’s essays despite his frequent fond allusions to American street photography.—
James Quandt,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
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One of the other creatures parked in Clark’s Backrooms nest is a diminutive entity in velvety red that strongly recalls a still, silent version of the Little Man From Another Place, a signature character from David Lynch’s Twin Peaks.—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Noun
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For instance, Eilish is an animal lover with a pet dwarf hamster named Tomato Bisque Soup.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
1 June 2026
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Writer Steve Phillips’ investments in the race dwarfs spending by any other single donor.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
29 May 2026
Noun
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Consider a dashboard that shows applications, including keys and libraries; network traffic protocols and ciphers; hardware, such as HSMs and TPMs; and third-party dependencies, including cryptographic or software bills of materials.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
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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
Adjective
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The National Federation of Independent Business has warned that small businesses and consumers who rely on energy, rather than oil giants, will end up holding the bag.—
Yaël Ossowski,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
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But as funding from cap-and-invest and the climate bond dwindle, the state must increasingly turn to Cal Fire, which devotes only a small portion of its budget to mitigation work.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
Noun
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Check out the Family Fun Package, including a welcome basket, Nikki Paniki toy, stamp scavenger hunt, and family movie night, among others.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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That stickability probably owes as much to the franchise's unconventional toy-first origins as its unprecedented ability to flog merchandise.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
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Unlike some of his more strapping forebears (think Liam Neeson, Kevin Costner, or Aaron Eckhart), Odenkirk specializes in nobodies and normals: people one would not expect to be killing machines.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 Apr. 2026
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After all, why listen to a podcast with two nobodies co-hosting when a listener can get an hour from a familiar celebrity.—
Frank Racioppi,
Forbes.com,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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When Gary Vernon began riding mountain bikes in Arkansas almost 40 years ago, there was very little infrastructure intended for riders without deep experience—or a devil-may-care attitude.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
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Emergency reserves have little oil to spare and fuel stockpiles are facing critical lows as peak summer demand months approach.—
Devika Krishna Kumar,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
Noun
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But the parasite was eliminated in those nations thanks to a wildly successful effort called the sterile insect technique, which involved the release of sterile flies in Panama that caused the fly population to collapse.—
Tanya Lewis,
Scientific American,
4 June 2026
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The way to eliminate New World screwworm, Rollins said, is through what’s known as the sterile insect technique.—
Ciara McCarthy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pygmy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pygmy. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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