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
Thanks to the popularity of Toni, Brötchen's older sister, Zoo Berlin raised more than $6,000 in a 2024 charity auction for pygmy hippo conservation efforts in Sierra Leone. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 18 June 2026 Tennessee is home to 32 species of snakes, but only four of them secrete venom — the copperhead, cottonmouth, timber rattlesnake and pygmy rattlesnake. — Jack Armstrong, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 3 June 2026 Pygmy rattlesnake Most adult dusky pygmy rattlesnakes are about 12 to 14 inches in length, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History. — Sarah Perkel, USA Today, 3 June 2026 There’s also a sand pit where children can dig up replicas of pygmy mammoth bones. — Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 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
  • Bitingly funny in its comedy and wistful in its drama, the film rests on the delicate performance of newcomer Verma, a diminutive, age-appropriate actor who molds Ilyas in captivating ways.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Agencies today balance irrigation and development needs with the water quality and temperature needed by endangered and threatened fish, ranging from winter run Chinook salmon and Central Valley Steelhead trout to diminutive delta and longfin smelt.
    — Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of diminutive
Noun
  • To avoid this, sow dwarf crepe myrtles at least 4 to 6 feet apart, space standard-sized trees at least 8 feet from each other, and keep crepe myrtles of any size at least 3 feet away from fencing.
    — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Around the dozens of containers that make Toolik the US’s largest research station in the Arctic, musk ox and caribou graze on dwarf birches and fragrant labrador tea, while Arctic ground squirrels pop out of their burrows to survey the tundra.
    — Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
Definition of dwarf
Noun
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of cipher
Adjective
  • They were first popularized in Georgian England as small tokens of affection, infatuation or mourning, and examples are scattered across major museums such as the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
    — Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Potential monetary policy task force recommendations may involve less transparent communication, a smaller balance sheet with stability risks, and inflation metrics that produce a lower reading.
    — David Zhang, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of small
Noun
  • Burbank has an independent video game store, a board game store, a vintage toy store, a year-round Halloween store, the Horror Boodega convenience store and two comic book stores, Reifenberg said.
    — Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Unless that toy was cleaned before it was disinfected, the germs remain.
    — Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of toy
Noun
  • Yvonne and Nick’s disastrous wedding dinner is the day the cast went from nobodies to actual practitioners of the reality-television arts and sciences.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 1 July 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
  • Orlando’s best chance of the first half came in the 31st minute when Simone Jackson hit the crossbar, but the Pride managed little else going forward and went into the break trailing.
    — Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Aug. 2026
  • An apologetic statement this week and commitment to not letting history repeat itself has, though, done little to placate the intensifying scrutiny of his leadership.
    — Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of little
Noun
  • Horticultural and neem oil work by suffocating the insects and disrupting their feeding cycle.
    — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Companion planting with flowering plants, like yarrow, zinnias, and sunflowers, attracts beneficial insects that naturally control pests.
    — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 4 Aug. 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 10 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pygmy

Nglish: Translation of pygmy for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pygmy

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