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
Incremental development and half-measures got us into this problem; that small-minded thinking will not get us out of it.
—
Zellnor Myrie, New York Daily News, 9 June 2025
Identify 5 specific behaviors, habits, or thought patterns that would seem ridiculous or small-minded to someone playing at a higher level.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
The way that Pliny saw it, astrology was small-minded fatalism, in which people glommed onto meaningless symbols for a sense of identity.
—Maya Layne, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2025
Their small-minded nature is justified through closeness, but really, everyone seems miserable, with their connections to Judaism existing in social standing only.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2024
Clearly, the two men are supposed to represent competing visions of Britishness: the one tolerant and outward-looking, drawing on the country’s rich heritage as a way to move the culture forward, the other entitled and small-minded, invested in the past only as a tool of propaganda.
—Giles Harvey, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024
This latest incident is yet another example of Trump’s small-minded, black-and-white thinking that denotes a simple mind unable to comprehend or consider policies that exist in the gray areas of governing.
—Robin Epley, The Mercury News, 21 Sep. 2024
The customer base is more informed and to make small-minded temporary transactions based on the political climate is the wrong direction for any company.
—Rhett Buttle, Forbes, 12 Sep. 2024
The latter consist of several cartoon-like locals with high levels of bigotry and stupidity — the kind of small-minded, provincial Frenchmen and women featured in hit Gallic comedies like Serial Bad Weddings or the Tuche series.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Sep. 2024
Zellnor Myrie, New York Daily News, 9 June 2025
Identify 5 specific behaviors, habits, or thought patterns that would seem ridiculous or small-minded to someone playing at a higher level.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
The way that Pliny saw it, astrology was small-minded fatalism, in which people glommed onto meaningless symbols for a sense of identity.
—Maya Layne, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2025
Their small-minded nature is justified through closeness, but really, everyone seems miserable, with their connections to Judaism existing in social standing only.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2024
Clearly, the two men are supposed to represent competing visions of Britishness: the one tolerant and outward-looking, drawing on the country’s rich heritage as a way to move the culture forward, the other entitled and small-minded, invested in the past only as a tool of propaganda.
—Giles Harvey, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024
This latest incident is yet another example of Trump’s small-minded, black-and-white thinking that denotes a simple mind unable to comprehend or consider policies that exist in the gray areas of governing.
—Robin Epley, The Mercury News, 21 Sep. 2024
The customer base is more informed and to make small-minded temporary transactions based on the political climate is the wrong direction for any company.
—Rhett Buttle, Forbes, 12 Sep. 2024
The latter consist of several cartoon-like locals with high levels of bigotry and stupidity — the kind of small-minded, provincial Frenchmen and women featured in hit Gallic comedies like Serial Bad Weddings or the Tuche series.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for small-minded
Adjective
-
Career growth inside companies still follows a narrow script—progress often defined by vertical movement alone.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
17 Aug. 2025
-
In 2024, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Apache Stronghold in a narrow 6-5 decision.—
Debra Utacia Krol,
AZCentral.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
South suburban committee members, meanwhile, showed parochial loyalty to Kelly.—
Rick Pearson,
Chicago Tribune,
19 July 2025
-
In a chamber fraught with parochial interests and personalities in spades, the sprint to finish this by the July 4 holiday is going to be clipped.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
The United Church of Rogers Park’s nearly 100-year-old building, with its dark brown wood paneling and vintage casement windows, is an atmospheric stand-in for a provincial Russian household around the turn of the 20th century.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Aug. 2025
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But Fan’s background – provincial, not well off or highly educated – may be contributing to official disquiet over her popularity, adding an extra layer of scrutiny.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
27 July 2025
Adjective
-
On a sunny morning in late June, his exercise regimen began with small steps: His right foot keeping pace with the treadmill, his left foot stationary, off to the side.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
18 Aug. 2025
-
Going directly from cooking inside the house and only trying my own food to trying small restaurants and traveling within a week’s span was a blessing.—
Kenneth J. Williams Jr,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In 2016, Trump, while running for President, was also suing a restaurateur for cutting ties over his bigoted comments about Mexican immigrants.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
11 Aug. 2025
-
Anti-Islamophobia advocates called the bigoted attacks typical of what American Muslims in public life have come to expect.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
26 June 2025
Adjective
-
And the conflict between the law-abiding brother and his petty thief sibling isn’t over a herd of cattle or gold mine but over a screenplay an agent promises will bring them fame and fortune.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Aug. 2025
-
Weeks before the closing announcement, blame fell on the store’s lack of shopping carts, the closure of self-checkout lanes and a visible rise in shoplifting and petty crime.—
Gloria Ngwa,
Twin Cities,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Its opposite—illiberal—means stingy, narrow-minded, intolerant, provincial, unenlightened, and using government to insure the flourishing of only the few.—
Harper’s Magazine,
Harpers Magazine,
16 July 2025
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That is something that has always struck me as strange and narrow-minded.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 June 2025
Adjective
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Tell me about the decision to explore those themes of masculinity and desire in this specific setting, a small and insular fishing town in Wales.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Aug. 2025
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Rich with nuance, passion, and unforgettable characters, Unaccustomed Earth invites you into the elite and insular Indian-American community of Cambridge, MA.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Small-minded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/small-minded. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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