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
Relevance
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
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.
—
The Denver Post, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2025
That makes tonight's game way more about pride and even petty revenge than the actual standings.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
But what makes these petty retaliations concerning isn’t their immediate economic impact — renamed coffees and boycotted Teslas won’t crash the global economy.
—Jackie Snow, Quartz, 7 Apr. 2025
The Trump administration has focused on deporting people for petty offenses or even political positions, Weinrib explained.
—Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for petty
The Denver Post, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2025
That makes tonight's game way more about pride and even petty revenge than the actual standings.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
But what makes these petty retaliations concerning isn’t their immediate economic impact — renamed coffees and boycotted Teslas won’t crash the global economy.
—Jackie Snow, Quartz, 7 Apr. 2025
The Trump administration has focused on deporting people for petty offenses or even political positions, Weinrib explained.
—Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for petty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for petty
Adjective
-
In 2022, a consortium of private retirement-plan providers announced a collaboration to boost the portability of small retirement accounts.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
-
The sheriff’s office handles homicide investigations for several smaller municipalities within the county.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Cage’s most famous composition—a piece where any performer exists in any space for four minutes and 33 seconds—is performed in nominal silence.—
Jeremy D. Larson,
Pitchfork,
11 Apr. 2025
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Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders are nominal political outsiders, regular critics of the Democratic establishment and proud progressives who are beloved by leftwing base voters — qualities that have advantages in today’s political environment.—
David M. Drucker,
Boston Herald,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The plum political prize, of course, will be deciding how congressional districts are drawn, perhaps giving this parochial court a major say in which party—and its preferred Speaker—gets to run the U.S. House.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
31 Mar. 2025
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There is nothing more parochial or bland than being a soft, white Anglican kid from Ottawa.—
Graydon Carter,
The Atlantic,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Not when your opponent is spending its each and every waking moment scouring film for even the slightest advantage.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2025
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Five of the Fed’s districts saw slight growth in economic activity, four districts had slight to modest declines and three reported relatively unchanged trends since the central bank’s previous release in early March.—
Melissa Repko,Michael Wayland,Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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On Saturday, the narrow field caused both teams to adapt to tighter spaces and quicker play.—
Felipe Cardenas,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2025
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Encircled by ancient stone walls, the village feels suspended in time, with narrow cobbled streets, where artisans’ shops, small galleries, and charming cafés are tucked into old white houses outlined in blue, blending seamlessly with the historic character.—
Monica Mendal,
Vogue,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Philosophers are in a unique place to solve this riddle as current events are largely trivial in their work.—
Theodore McDarrah,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
-
It may be generally dismissed as trivial, but Bernstein conducted it with characterful nostalgia and Dudamel has found in it vibrant new spirit.—
Mark Swed,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Obstetricians say, at the end of the day, AFE is really just a product of bad luck, and there's little that can be done to prevent it.—
Adrianna Rodriguez,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025
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In it is an über-posh upholstered bed—a slightly ironic addition for a professional who seems to leave little time for rest.—
Mel Studach,
Architectural Digest,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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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
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And yet the movie’s insularity feels trifling and empty.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
17 Feb. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Petty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/petty. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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