as in diminutive
of a size that is less than average
a pygmy elephant
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pygmy
Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 29 Apr. 2026
Just look at how much the internet embraced Moo Deng the baby pygmy hippo in Thailand, or Punch the monkey in a Japanese zoo.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
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
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
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.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 29 Apr. 2026
Just look at how much the internet embraced Moo Deng the baby pygmy hippo in Thailand, or Punch the monkey in a Japanese zoo.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
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
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
See All Example Sentences for pygmy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pygmy
Adjective
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The diminutive restaurant is about as no-nonsense inside as out.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
19 June 2026
-
Even still, most of its diminutive size was just plastic packaging, encasing the far tinier, unfathomably dense network of billions of transistors embedded in silicon.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
Noun
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For a more complex arrangement, try stacking dwarf azaleas in front of taller mountain laurels and select plants with coordinating flower colors.—
Lauren Landers,
The Spruce,
13 June 2026
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The rounded dwarf types fit neatly into compact gardens as foundation plantings, borders, or accents.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
12 June 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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After selling baklava at the Stock Show, the Unlus rented their first resraurant space in a small Eighth Avenue food hall.—
Bud Kennedy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 June 2026
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The Virgo moon asks you to focus on the small tasks.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
20 June 2026
Noun
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Back in May, a mom warned others in a local Facebook group that her daughter’s friend’s squishy toy in the shape of a dumpling exploded after it was left in the car.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
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Enervated cuteness and tryhard sincerity define a whole new wave of musicians, from Pittsburgh rockers feeble little horse to cringe-pop upcycler Worldpeace DMT to SoundCloud producer MASSI, whose songs spill with the tiny adorable detail of a toy train set.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
15 June 2026
Noun
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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
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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
Adjective
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There, officers found the little girl with severe, life-threatening injuries.—
Kaicey Baylor,
CBS News,
21 June 2026
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Contrary to popular belief, the central bank has little influence over home loan rates.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
21 June 2026
Noun
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Detainees at the facility have reported a lack of access to lawyers and poor physical conditions, including worms in the food, toilets that do not flush, floors flooding with fecal waste and insects everywhere.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
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To attract birds to your yard, plant trees for nesting and insects, shrubs for berries and cover, wildflowers and grasses for seeds and pollinators, plus vines that feed birds and soften fences.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pygmy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pygmy. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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