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
Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 15 Feb. 2026
Saltwater crocs laze among the area’s wetlands, while pygmy elephants are often seen replenishing themselves riverside.
—Laura Kiniry, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Jan. 2026
The Bronx Zoo participates in the pygmy slow loris Species Survival Plan (SSP), a breeding program handled by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
—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
See All Example Sentences for pygmy
Noun
This latest pygmy hippo addition to the Wildlife World Zoo makes a total of three of the endangered species there.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 15 Feb. 2026
Saltwater crocs laze among the area’s wetlands, while pygmy elephants are often seen replenishing themselves riverside.
—Laura Kiniry, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Jan. 2026
The Bronx Zoo participates in the pygmy slow loris Species Survival Plan (SSP), a breeding program handled by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
—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
See All Example Sentences for pygmy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pygmy
Adjective
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The device is powered by a rather diminutive 4,050-mAh silicon-carbon battery that supports 33-W charging.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
28 Mar. 2026
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Each of those films also features a plucky, diminutive hero who succeeds in the face of naysayers—an easy figure for any kid watching to root for.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Linda Langelo, horticulture specialist at Colorado State University Extension, recommends the Perry Baby Red or Pygmaea Helvola dwarf varieties in particular.—
Helena Madden,
Martha Stewart,
2 Apr. 2026
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The Dodgers’ $850-million annual revenue dwarfs competitors like the Diamondbacks at $324 million, exemplifying the financial gulf driving owners’ desire for cost controls.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
27 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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But everything is silky and precise to the touch, and the sound astonishingly full and sweet in the small room, with the strain of an accordion coming in through the open window.—
Tim Parks,
New Yorker,
11 Apr. 2026
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Handcrafted in small batches, these blends are designed to take the guesswork out of cooking.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Talamantes had met Estrada Juarez just months earlier, at a holiday toy drive for formerly homeless families.—
Mathew Miranda,
Sacbee.com,
6 Apr. 2026
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Within moments, icy water began crashing over the gunwale, causing the boat to flip like a toy — and dumping the three occupants into the dark, shockingly cold water.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
Adjective
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But with Spokane creating little offensively, Andema laid the ball off along his own end line to defender Moussa Ndiaye to start a chaotic sequence that ended with the ball in the back of Boise’s net.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Apr. 2026
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In the ’90s, the peninsula was taken over by a string of summer-only nightclubs, with little regard for the natural surroundings or the ancient cemetery buried in the pine forest.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Using insect repellent, wearing protective clothing such as long pants and sleeves and checking for ticks after being outside in tick-prone areas can substantially reduce the risk of being bitten.—
Tara Haelle,
Scientific American,
9 Apr. 2026
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Moss can provide shelter for insects like beetles, spiders, ants, cockroaches, and worms.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pygmy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pygmy. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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