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small-minded

adjective

ˈsmȯl-ˈmīn-dəd How to pronounce small-minded (audio)
Definition of small-mindednext
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

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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

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 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 What if both groups ignored the small-minded prison of petty politics? — Aaron Everitt, STAT, 10 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for small-minded
Recent Examples of Synonyms for small-minded
  1. narrow
  2. parochial
  3. provincial
  4. small
  5. bigoted
  6. petty
  7. narrow-minded
  8. insular
Adjective
  • If truly transformational donors must remain a narrow exception because their philanthropy creates opportunities for thousands of students, say so openly and make that exception exceedingly rare.
    — Jayson Weingarten, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Glen Arbor to Traverse City On the Leelanau Peninsula, M-22 squeezes onto a narrow isthmus between Lake Michigan and Lake Leelanau, landing in the resort community of Leland.
    — Mike Norton, Midwest Living, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of narrow
Adjective
  • Since 2015, a flurry of cases has decided issues as parochial as how much individual athletes are paid out of broadcast revenues and how long student athletes are eligible to play.
    — Sen. Rand Paul OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Back then the age of discovery was at its peak, and startling new information about what had previously been a very parochial planet was flooding into the academies of Europe and the Americas.
    — Ian Tattersall, The New York Review of Books, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of parochial
Adjective
  • Twenty whales -- 19 belugas and one killer whale -- had died at Marineland since 2019, according to provincial government data obtained through freedom of information laws and official statements.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The New Democrats won a narrow majority in the 2024 provincial election, giving Eby enough seats to govern without relying on another party, and he was not required to call another election until 2028.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of provincial
Adjective
  • Book the white, cream, and silver Diaghilev suite, which has double doors that open onto a small balcony with the bay of Positano at your feet.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Instead, excess testosterone is converted into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which causes the hair follicles to become smaller and then the hair strands to become thinner.
    — Lindsey Bever, Washington Post, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of small
Adjective
  • The killing, often deliberate, of more than twenty thousand children in Gaza injured consciences, not purses, and consciences could be managed with some ritual censuring of Benjamin Netanyahu or his proudly bigoted colleagues.
    — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Over the five hours that follow, the series tracks what led to the tragedy — specifically, his complicated relationship with his resentful, bigoted next-door neighbor, Clive (David Morrissey).
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of bigoted
Adjective
  • Now there seems to be a petty attempt to call out cheating when no cheating took place.
    — Matt Calkins OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026
  • This year, alluding to the president’s petty penchant for renaming things, the town has changed its name from South Park to South America, altering the theme song, local signage and local speech, without protest.
    — Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of petty
Adjective
  • Now, our narrow-minded and hard-hearted lawmakers and education overseers do not want undocumented students in Florida to get a college education.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Debbie Duncan, director of talent acquisition at Northwestern Mutual, says one of the biggest mistakes new graduates can make is being narrow-minded with their job search.
    — Courtney Connley-Hampton, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026
Definition of narrow-minded
Adjective
  • Though Best Original Song can seem impenetrable, as the Music Branch that determines the shortlist and nominees for the category has its own insular politics, Swift has inched her way closer to a nomination with every song she’s written for a film.
    — Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 26 Sep. 2026
  • But after years of success for automakers such as GM, the Chinese automotive sector has rapidly changed from an insular industry to the biggest exporter of vehicles globally.
    — Michael Wayland, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of insular

Browse Nearby Words

smallish
small-minded
small-mindedness
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Cite this Entry

“Small-minded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/small-minded. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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