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
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 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
-
To meet rising demand, companies sprang up and began churning out rides – smaller versions for traveling carnivals and larger ones for town squares and amusement parks.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
26 May 2025
-
Ellie finds a small fishing boat to take her across the water to the aquarium.—
Samantha Stutsman,
People.com,
26 May 2025
Adjective
-
The Eagles saved a nominal amount of money after months of negotiations.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
-
But cheers were somewhat subdued until about 10 minutes after launch—when operators officially determined that the spacecraft’s trajectory was nominal, taking it on a ballistic suborbital path through outer space.—
Gayoung Lee,
Scientific American,
28 May 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Every interaction, no matter how trivial, could end up being a bit.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
-
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
-
The cuts could include the elimination of bus routes that get relatively little use and less frequent service on some popular routes.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2025
-
In Madrid, little is known about Bellingham’s social life.—
Gregg Evans,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
Frankly, the more trifling the crime, the better this franchise’s comedy aspirations would work.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Apr. 2025
-
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 6 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share