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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. — 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 The richest team in the league has now become its most small-minded and timid, afraid to do anything approaching creativity or boldness. — James Mirtle, New York Times, 31 Mar. 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
  • Louisville and Boise State don’t move much after narrow losses to top-10 teams.
    — Chris Vannini, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The extremely short, picometer-scale wavelength of nuclear-decay neutrinos makes the possible collective emission cone extraordinarily narrow.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of narrow
Adjective
  • Among the bureaucratic, parochial, pastoral and familial spaces his work takes his clients, a reflection on roots, gentrification and the act of remaining emerges.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026
  • In some cases, opposition might amount to parochial not in my backyard — or NIMBY — concerns.
    — Stefan Chavez-Norgaard, The Conversation, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of parochial
Adjective
  • The provincial government says the investment will strengthen aerospace capacity and support skilled employment in the province.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
  • 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.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of provincial
Adjective
  • Then handle the smaller responsibilities competing for your attention.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Its compact permanent magnet motor enables a smaller pod diameter, reducing hydrodynamic drag while maintaining high propulsion performance.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of small
Adjective
  • 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
  • Elon Musk, once glorified as a technological genius, has come under fire for making bigoted and antisemitic comments.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of bigoted
Adjective
  • Mehring’s characters include petty criminals, unscrupulous lawyers, Galician Jews, Freikorps heavies, local and international businessmen, Prussian generals, and the everyday citizens inhabiting the streets of Berlin’s old and rather dingy center.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Some fans and analysts pointed out that the news release looked petty.
    — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of petty
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of narrow-minded
Adjective
  • The scale of private capital available to entrepreneurs has made the tech industry a particularly insular space.
    — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Set against the remote, insular world of its titular island, production designer Steve Arnold and set decorator Jennifer Engel created a lived-in, slightly stuck in time and, when necessary, deeply unsettling environment.
    — Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 14 Aug. 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 17 Sep. 2026.

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