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 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 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 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
  • That ought to be advantageous for the Spaniard, who seemed too often to run aground when trapped inside in a more narrow system.
    — Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • But the school board is the most notable exception, where Republicans cling to a narrow 4-3 majority after years of bruising elections.
    — Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of narrow
Adjective
  • From a parochial point of view, former Bruin goalie Joonas Korpisalo is now a Blueshirt after being dealt to Broadway on July 1.
    — Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 15 July 2026
  • Many children in Florida attending private, parochial or homeschool programs do not take the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking, or FAST, test, which is used by Florida’s public school districts to measure students’ achievement.
    — Kendall Deas, The Conversation, 6 July 2026
Definition of parochial
Adjective
  • The fires prompted evacuations, including in Nova Scotia where there’s a large fire that local and provincial crews have been fighting since Wednesday, and in northwestern Ontario, where some of the most intense fires are burning.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 July 2026
  • The report cited testimony that provincial fleets still include 22 older CL-215 aircraft and that at least 20 aircraft require immediate replacement.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 18 July 2026
Definition of provincial
Adjective
  • The division charged with keeping a handle on parasitic diseases had already been small, with only a few employees designated to parasite work.
    — Blake Ellis, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • When states lose the authority to set their own food safety and agricultural standards, consumers and small farmers pay the price.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 19 July 2026
Definition of small
Adjective
  • The president himself frequently rails against transgender people in his public remarks and executive orders, spreading falsehoods and using bigoted language.
    — Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026
  • Carroll O'Connor played the cantankerous antihero Archie Bunker, legendary for firing off his grumpy, bigoted views.
    — Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 12 July 2026
Definition of bigoted
Adjective
  • The Greek myths are rife with petty and meddlesome deities squabbling, playing favorites, punishing harshly, and otherwise wreaking havoc on the lives of mortal men.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 17 July 2026
  • In each social-commentary-teetering-on-horror episode, Nanno is a pupil at a different school, picture perfect and scanning the room for whatever secrets — an abusive teacher, an absurd hierarchical system, petty jealousy — demand to be revealed.
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 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
  • Meanwhile, the word on Grand Illusion was getting out beyond the insular arthouse crowd.
    — Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 18 July 2026
  • Edelman shared the data this week at his firm’s annual Trust Summit in New York, where the question on every leader’s mind was how to build trust in an increasingly insular world.
    — Diane Brady, Fortune, 17 July 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 22 Jul. 2026.

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