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
Not to victim-blame, but that’s an awfully bold lip for someone who’s trying to avoid the ire of the famously jealous and petty Evil Queen.
—
Emma Specter, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2025
As with any large city, petty crime, like pickpocketing, occurs frequently, so be aware of your surroundings, especially in crowded markets and on public transportation.
—Jen Murphy, Outside Online, 21 Mar. 2025
The film tells the true story of the power struggle between notorious crime bosses Frank Costello and Vito Genovese, two New York mobsters once the best of friends before petty jealousies put them on a deadly collision course.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 21 Mar. 2025
For public safety, Perkins said, he's been speaking with local officials and studying data, including about how petty crimes can turn into larger ones.
—Annalise Frank, Axios, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for petty
Emma Specter, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2025
As with any large city, petty crime, like pickpocketing, occurs frequently, so be aware of your surroundings, especially in crowded markets and on public transportation.
—Jen Murphy, Outside Online, 21 Mar. 2025
The film tells the true story of the power struggle between notorious crime bosses Frank Costello and Vito Genovese, two New York mobsters once the best of friends before petty jealousies put them on a deadly collision course.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 21 Mar. 2025
For public safety, Perkins said, he's been speaking with local officials and studying data, including about how petty crimes can turn into larger ones.
—Annalise Frank, Axios, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for petty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for petty
Adjective
-
Hybrid solutions are currently typically used for small systems.—
ILYA Likhov,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Lee already had six permanent tattoos –– small ones easily hidden by clothing –– and thought this was a good opportunity to try out a more visible tattoo.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
For adults, the service would be available for a nominal fee.—
Federico Guerrini,
Forbes.com,
2 Apr. 2025
-
These games will be purchasable standalone on the eShop and presumably at retail, or upgraded to for a nominal fee for existing owners of the game, much like how the PS5 handles its cross-gen upgrades.—
Jason D. Greenblatt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
For the Americans working in Germany, the industry chain of command conflicted with cultural politics — Americans held parochial views about their post–World War II national superiority.—
Armond White,
National Review,
28 Feb. 2025
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Currently the parochial vicar at St. Lucy Parish in Campbell, Rev. Pedigo formerly served as pastor at St. Julie Billiart and Our Lady of Guadalupe in San Jose.—
Sal Pizarro,
The Mercury News,
8 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
International museums in 2024 collectively experienced a slight dip in attendance that marks a return to normalcy in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis, the Art Newspaper reports.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
1 Apr. 2025
-
Good Night and Good Luck, starring George Clooney, was the highest grossing show on Broadway again last week, even as its grosses took a slight dip.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The narrow five-game spread between the top and bottom performers illustrates the relative consistency in baseline predictive ability.—
Giovanni Malloy,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
-
This would seemingly narrow season 4's destinations down to... Will There Be a Season 4 of The White Lotus?—
Mackenzie Schmidt,
People.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The biggest reason: New York’s discovery law allows cases to be dismissed even for trivial, fixable discovery violations.—
Jane Manning,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2025
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If anything, becoming a weird little guy, by my definition, is about rejecting the despair that leads down those kinds of regressive paths, and daring to care about something, even — and perhaps especially — if that something might seem kind of dumb or trivial to the outside world.—
James Factora,
Them.,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Even with Hollywood’s diminished state in China, the film business is one sector where the U.S. maintains a sizable trade surplus with its geopolitical rival, as Chinese films, despite their enormous earnings in the home market, have made little headway with mainstream North American moviegoers.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2025
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For starters, the clear formula comes in a cute little bottle that looks more like a serum than tanning drops.—
Alanna Martine Kilkeary,
Glamour,
10 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 15 Apr. 2025.
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