1
as in small
not broad or open in views or opinions
a petty little town that was not ethnically diverse and very happy about the situation
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nominal
so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention
obsessed over even petty problems
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of petty
So much of modern football discourse is taken up with banality, immaturity, petty insults, utterly vapid arguments about the size of rival clubs, or fanbases, or the length of trophy droughts.
—
Tim Spiers, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Don't let her petty jealousy and entitlement ruin such a special moment for you and your family.
—Virginia Chamlee, People.com, 14 May 2025
Each encounter brings four options for how to beat that opponent, a prime opportunity to make petty jokes.
—Jayna Bardahl, New York Times, 16 May 2025
As a result, defendants in Colorado’s municipal courts can face much longer sentences than those in state court for the same petty offenses, The Denver Post previously found.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for petty
Tim Spiers, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Don't let her petty jealousy and entitlement ruin such a special moment for you and your family.
—Virginia Chamlee, People.com, 14 May 2025
Each encounter brings four options for how to beat that opponent, a prime opportunity to make petty jokes.
—Jayna Bardahl, New York Times, 16 May 2025
As a result, defendants in Colorado’s municipal courts can face much longer sentences than those in state court for the same petty offenses, The Denver Post previously found.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for petty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for petty
Adjective
-
The second season of HBO's zombie smash ends with battles both big and small, a major death, and a time rewind.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
26 May 2025
-
Pay Attention to Heavy Metals Some chocolate contains small amounts of cadmium and lead—and dark chocolate tends to be the bigger offender.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
26 May 2025
Adjective
-
The main question of contemporary cinema isn’t (pace the nominal avant-garde) whether to tell a story but what story to tell, how to tell it, and, for that matter, what a story is.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
20 May 2025
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Here’s why: Although technical specifications are still being worked out, the new standard could deliver nominal peak data rates of more than 40Gbps.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
20 May 2025
Adjective
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The third barrier to advancement Hamilton mentioned is risk aversion, and the fourth is parochial services.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2025
-
Prevost spent nearly two decades in missionary service in Peru, beginning in 1985 with roles such as parochial vicar and chancellor in Chulucanas, and later director of formation for Augustinian aspirants in Trujillo.—
Chicago Tribune,
Twin Cities,
11 May 2025
Adjective
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Injuries can range from a slight stretching of the ligament to a complete tear, where the knee becomes unstable.—
Paul McClure
May 31,
New Atlas,
31 May 2025
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By virtue of no state income tax, Florida, Tampa Bay, Vegas, Dallas and Nashville do enjoy a slight competitive advantage, but the first 14 Cup champions of the cap era didn’t share that same edge.—
Murat Ates,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
Adjective
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The Horned Frogs gave up two late runs in a narrow 2-1 loss to Arizona in the championship game of the Big 12 Tournament on Saturday night at Globe Life Field.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 May 2025
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The Formula 1 season moves to its most iconic venue this weekend, with the eighth round of the championship taking place around the narrow streets of Monaco.—
Dan Cancian,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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Every interaction, no matter how trivial, could end up being a bit.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
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This explains why trivial choices, like what to wear or eat and many more throughout your day can leave you mentally exhausted before tackling important tasks.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
Adjective
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Mia said she was kept off-kilter working around the clock for Combs with little sleep.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
30 May 2025
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In Madrid, little is known about Bellingham’s social life.—
Gregg Evans,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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Frankly, the more trifling the crime, the better this franchise’s comedy aspirations would work.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Apr. 2025
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With that much water needed for even the most trifling tasks, the natural question becomes: How does that water reach those data centers, let alone the world’s farms and factories?—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
28 May 2010
Cite this Entry
“Petty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petty. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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