1
as in narrow
unwilling to grant other people social rights or to accept other viewpoints
a small-minded man only concerned with his own well-being
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in parochial
not broad or open in views or opinions
resented the small-minded people who automatically opposed every new idea
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of small-minded
All those small-hearted, small-minded people, there’s a hell for you.
—
Marlow Stern, Variety, 25 May 2026
All those small-hearted, small-minded people, there's a hell for you.
—Sharareh Drury, Entertainment Weekly, 25 May 2026
Stedman offers a heartfelt homage to the virtues of rural community and the natural beauty unique to Western Australia, as well as a critique of the strictures and dangers inherent in small-minded communities.
—The Know, Denver Post, 26 Apr. 2026
In Mohit’s telling, Laxman seems merely grubby and small-minded.
—Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026
Any negative pushback in this moment will be interpreted as a small-minded and eminently self-serving response that puts parochial party interests above the interests of the country.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 3 Mar. 2026
These are not small-minded accomplishments.
—Michael Stepner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
The momentum behind these ventures — the idea, unpalatable to many of us small-minded, provincial types, of taking domestic league matches abroad — remains strong.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
But small-minded individuals, who happened to be blocking our path at any point in time, my goal was to get around them.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2025
Marlow Stern, Variety, 25 May 2026
All those small-hearted, small-minded people, there's a hell for you.
—Sharareh Drury, Entertainment Weekly, 25 May 2026
Stedman offers a heartfelt homage to the virtues of rural community and the natural beauty unique to Western Australia, as well as a critique of the strictures and dangers inherent in small-minded communities.
—The Know, Denver Post, 26 Apr. 2026
In Mohit’s telling, Laxman seems merely grubby and small-minded.
—Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026
Any negative pushback in this moment will be interpreted as a small-minded and eminently self-serving response that puts parochial party interests above the interests of the country.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 3 Mar. 2026
These are not small-minded accomplishments.
—Michael Stepner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
The momentum behind these ventures — the idea, unpalatable to many of us small-minded, provincial types, of taking domestic league matches abroad — remains strong.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
But small-minded individuals, who happened to be blocking our path at any point in time, my goal was to get around them.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for small-minded
Adjective
-
Malaysian diver Lee Kian Lie told CNN that rescue divers were teaching the villagers how to dive out of the cave themselves, as the space is narrow and water levels are not coming down despite efforts to pump the water out.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
-
Delegates to the state conventions don’t mirror the broader electorate, and their candidate selections can often represent more narrow preference of the party base.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Of course, the ever-parochial instincts of Chicago, where neighborhood loyalties rule and aldermen are fiercely protective of their ward domains, means the decision on the location of any future Leo landmark could be contentious.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
-
Besides, the budget has a little something for every lawmaker, with about 2,000 parochial projects sprinkled across the state, the vast majority sponsored by Republicans.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Twenty whales — 19 belugas and one killer whale — have died at Marineland since 2019, according to provincial government data obtained through freedom-of-information laws and official statements.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
-
On one side were Carson’s years growing up in provincial Columbus, Georgia, and the succession of Southern towns to which her husband’s job had called them.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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
Adjective
-
Navratilova has been called homophobic, transphobic, bigoted and worse for her position on women’s sports.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
-
Each of them was punched in the face as the attacker yelled out his bigoted remarks, police said.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Lestat justifies his, uh, connection with Gabriella by arguing that vampires transcend petty human concepts like conventional morality.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
7 June 2026
-
The Avs did right by MacFarland in granting him permission to interview, unlike the petty and classless Golden Knights, who continue to hold former coach Bruce Cassidy hostage.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
Adjective
-
However, curiosity can interrupt that narrow-minded thinking, according to Maya Nehru, MA, LMFT, a psychotherapist offering services in anxiety and trauma in San Diego and Washington.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
25 Mar. 2026
-
This is a valid concern, which is why the solution must be comprehensive, not narrow-minded.—
Jerry Presley,
Denver Post,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
At times, Season 3 becomes too insular.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
7 June 2026
-
The Vanity Fair article was published shortly after, further ostracizing Adams from her former friends and causing the remaining Eternal Values members to become even more insular.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Small-minded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/small-minded. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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