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 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 In Mohit’s telling, Laxman seems merely grubby and small-minded. — Literary Hub, 12 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
  • The narrow waterway passing between Iran and Oman serves as the main route for shipping crude from oil-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait to the rest of the world.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The fighting has severely disrupted shipping through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, a narrow maritime choke point that typically handles around a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of narrow
Adjective
  • Several residents who spoke at the meetings characterized the opposition as a vocal minority of residents who have fixated on a few mostly parochial issues.
    — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 1 Aug. 2026
  • All but one, Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, were either parochial or had some religious affiliation.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 25 July 2026
Definition of parochial
Adjective
  • Most projects, after all, start small—a municipal equipment contract, a provincial memorandum, a maintenance agreement.
    — Natalia Cote-Muñoz, Foreign Affairs, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Bilal Faizi, a spokesman for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial emergency service, said the attacker struck dozens of people who were chanting antimilitant slogans and demanding peace.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of provincial
Adjective
  • They were first popularized in Georgian England as small tokens of affection, infatuation or mourning, and examples are scattered across major museums such as the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
    — Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Potential monetary policy task force recommendations may involve less transparent communication, a smaller balance sheet with stability risks, and inflation metrics that produce a lower reading.
    — David Zhang, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of small
Adjective
  • His fortunes started to change in his mid-50s, when he was cast in the 2008, off-Broadway revival of Sarah Kane’s audacious Blasted, as a bigoted and predatory tabloid writer.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of bigoted
Adjective
  • His legal team couched the City Council’s move to weaken the mayor’s authority and strip him of privileges as a petty effort to unseat the youngest mayor in the city’s history, and one who has questioned their leadership.
    — Reed Williams, AJC.com, 29 July 2026
  • One Marchand report contained several petty and embarrassing details about McAfee that clearly came from ESPN insiders.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 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
  • There are parallels to the Epstein saga; tensions between an insular, blue-collar police force and federal agents with elite educations; systemic corruption; office politics.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 27 July 2026
  • Cheapening a Storied Brand Furthermore, the Klarna partnership cheapens Apple’s premium brand identity, which was in part achieved by its extremely insular ecosystem.
    — Bee Wertheimer, PC Magazine, 24 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 6 Aug. 2026.

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