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
Yet everything remains the same for Delia whose romantic fantasies have given way to an embrace of her roles as dutiful wife and loving mother despite the sneering condescension and outright physical abuse at the hands of her strutting petty tyrant husband Ivano (Valerio Mastandrea).
—
Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 7 Mar. 2025
The American people deserve better than petty, juvenile stunts in one of the most sacred chambers of government.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 6 Mar. 2025
According to The Times, the suspect is unemployed, was living with his parents and had a police record for petty crime.
—Becca Longmire, People.com, 14 Feb. 2025
But being able to distinguish when things are challenging versus straight-up unhealthy can keep you from spiraling into petty drama and sneaky backstabbing.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for petty
Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 7 Mar. 2025
The American people deserve better than petty, juvenile stunts in one of the most sacred chambers of government.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 6 Mar. 2025
According to The Times, the suspect is unemployed, was living with his parents and had a police record for petty crime.
—Becca Longmire, People.com, 14 Feb. 2025
But being able to distinguish when things are challenging versus straight-up unhealthy can keep you from spiraling into petty drama and sneaky backstabbing.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for petty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for petty
Adjective
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Sitting in his idling pickup one afternoon, Sherlock watched as a Canadian Pacific train rumbled by the grain elevator in the small town of Wimbledon.—
Kirk Siegler,
NPR,
14 Mar. 2025
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Crib sheets, which are typically 10 inches deep, may be an exception due to their smaller size.—
Kelly Dawson,
Architectural Digest,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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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.—
PCMAG,
PCMAG,
20 Mar. 2025
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According to expert estimates, India needs to spend around $100 billion per year, or 2.8% of current nominal GDP, to achieve net-zero power sector emissions by 2070.—
Radhika Kak, independent researcher at Harvard Business School and Varad Pande, partner at BCG,
CNBC,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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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
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At this point, any family that wants their child to attend a private school is now able to get more than $8,000 per year to pay private or parochial tuition.—
Letters to the Editor,
Orlando Sentinel,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Making one bet at a slight little edge is not going to have a huge effect on someone's bracket.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
20 Mar. 2025
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Zero Day held a slight lead with 1.84 billion minutes of viewing to 1.81 billion for Reacher.—
Rick Porter,
The Hollywood Reporter,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Rubrik beat Wall Street’s expectations, posting an adjusted loss of 18 cents per share for its fourth quarter, which was narrower than the 39 cent loss expected from analysts polled by LSEG.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
14 Mar. 2025
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The historically narrow majority that Republicans hold in the House of Representatives means this opposition will probably continue.—
Justin Peck / Made by History,
TIME,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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What’s at risk The impact of an output such as calling a blueberry muffin a chihuahua may seem trivial, but consider the different kinds of technologies that use image recognition systems: An autonomous vehicle that fails to identify objects could lead to a fatal traffic accident.—
Anna Choi,
The Conversation,
21 Mar. 2025
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The under-the-table payments at the center of the case, which involved sums of up to $100,000, now seem trivial in comparison to the rapidly escalating figures involved in today’s NIL economy.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Nintendo officially confirmed the Nintendo Switch 2 via a teaser trailer that reveals the hybrid console, a plan for a Nintendo Direct on April 2 to give more details, and very little else.—
Will Greenwald,
PCMAG,
19 Mar. 2025
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One 2019 study from researchers at Florida Gulf Coast University and West Virginia University found little evidence that CDFI funding significantly boosts small business activity.—
Brandon Kochkodin,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 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 26 Mar. 2025.
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